The Gender Gap in Church is Growing

Young Christian women are much more liberal than men

This past weekend I participated in a panel discussion focused on Generation Z, the gender divide, and the political ramifications of the growing divergence between young men and women. At one point, the moderator asked a question I had never considered: “Is the gender divide less evident among young Christians?” On its face, the question seems very reasonable, and I said as much at the time. Although inter-denominational differences can be significant, many Christians share similar values that could potentially diminish the growing rift between young men and women. As it turns out, on many critical issues, young Christian men and women have decidedly different views. The gender gap in church is indeed growing.

A few weeks ago, the Pew Research Center released their 2024 Religious Landscape Survey (RLS)—likely the most authoritative source of information on the state of American religion. It’s a massive study based on nearly 37,000 interviews that includes questions covering religious …