Problem

Religious non-practitioners

Other Names:
Non-practicing believers
Absence of religious practice
Incidence:

[Catholic Church] Today there is a very large number of baptized people who for the most part have not formally renounced their baptism but who are entirely indifferent to it and not living in accordance with it. The phenomenon of the non practicing is a very ancient one in the history of Christianity; it is the result of a natural weakness, a profound inconsistency which we unfortunately bear deep within us. Today however it shows certain new characteristics. It is often the result of the uprooting typical of our time. It also springs from the fact that Christians live in close proximity with non-believers and constantly experience the effects of unbelief. Furthermore, the non-practicing Christians of today, more so than those of previous periods, seek to explain and justify their position in the name of an interior religion, of personal independence or authenticity. (Papal Writings, Evangelii Nuntiandi: On evangelization in the modern world, 8 December 1975).
Broader Problems:
Religious apathy
Religious backsliding
Narrower Problems:
Decreasing participation in collective religious worship
Subject(s):
Social Activity → Practitioners
Religious Practice → Religion
Problem Type:
F: Fuzzy exceptional problems
Date of last update
04.10.2020 – 22:48 CEST