In 2016, Ton Bernts (Radboud University) and Joantine Berghuijs (VU Amsterdam) published God in Nederland 1966-2015 (‘God in the Netherlands 1966–2015’). The report draws on a study of religious believers and non-believers conducted in the Netherlands every 10 years.
Fewer and fewer people believe in God. In the latest study, 24% of the Dutch population indicate that they do not believe in God (compared to 16% in 1966), against 14% who do (47% in 1966) and 28% who believe in a higher power (31% in 1966). Some 82% of the respondents never or almost never go to church.
Words, images and deeds connected to the Christian faith are becoming less and less visible in Dutch society. This holds even for church members, who nowadays adhere less strictly to traditional Christian beliefs and forms of expression.
Ten years ago, it was assumed that new forms of spirituality would increase in importance. The report shows, however, that support for the ‘spiritual revolution’ has in fact gone down.
How can it be that broadcasts of The Passion and performances of the St Matthew Passion are as popular as ever, while religious faith and belief in God decline?
The publication contains figures on Christianity, new forms of spirituality, traditional and new communities, and new rituals. It also provides a possible explanation for declining levels of belief in God. Do people become more spiritual if they attend church less?
