For the last several decades, much sociological focus has been devoted to the religious “Nones,” or those who do not affiliate with a religion. This includes atheists, agnostics, or those who claim “nothing in particular,” a collective group that has been rising steadily in America since the early 1990s. There has been great attention to this topic, both in the academic literature and in the popular press, for good reason. Even aside from a loss of faith, non-religious people tend to have lower social support and worse psychological well-being.
Accordingly, there is often an assumption that a “nominal” affiliation, belonging to a faith in name but not in practice, is better than nothing. Indeed, research shows that nominal affiliates often maintain personal theological convictions, pass a Christian identity down to their kids, and are more likely to volunteer than lifelong secular individuals. There is also a sense that nominal affiliates may one day become active members, whether for the first time or as a return to their faith.
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Yet nominal affiliation may come with hidden costs. In a new Institute for Family Studies report I co-authored on the relationship between faith devotion and marital satisfaction, we find that nominal Protestants are sometimes faring worse than those who claim no faith at all. On several measures of marital stability and satisfaction, they trail slightly behind Nones and far behind regular churchgoers.
For example, among ever-married adults age 35–54, 34% of Protestants who attend church regularly have ever been divorced or separated. This figure is higher for Nones (40%) but highest for nominal Protestants (54%) who do not attend church regularly.
This pattern repeats for marriage. Among married individuals ages 20–54, 74% of churchgoing Protestants report being very happy in their marriage. 66% of Nones and only 58% of nominal Protestants say the same. Similarly, 77% of churchgoing Protestants perceive their marriage as stable, compared to 71% of Nones and 66% of nominal Protestants. Eighty percent of churchgoing Protestants perceive their marriage as fair, followed by Nones (72%) and nominal Protestants (68%).
Finally, we see the same trend for marital sexual satisfaction. Among those 20–54 who are married, 45% of churchgoing Protestants rate their sex life as “excellent” or “very good.” Although this percentage may seem low, it remains higher than that of Nones (40%) and nominal Protestants (35%).
These findings, however, require a careful interpretation. While it is possible that nominal affiliation is leading to divorce, it is also highly likely that divorce is leading to nominal affiliation. Divorcees may fear gossip and judgment, experience social ostracism from coreligionists, or lose the couple-friendships tying them to a church, prompting religious withdrawal. In other words, nominal affiliation may not be causing divorce as much as it is collecting the divorced.
Similarly, while nominal Protestants trail the Nones on marital happiness, perceived stability, fairness, and sexual satisfaction — all measures of self-perception — they are outpacing them on some behavioral measures.
Nominal Protestants are slightly more likely than Nones to be married (41% versus 39%), and they are more likely to be parents (66% versus 49%). Weekly sex is most common among churchgoers (60%), but slightly more common for nominal Protestants (52%) than Nones (47%). Moreover, nominal Protestants are far more likely to endorse marriage as permanent than Nones, by 20 percentage points (26% versus 6%). It may be that nominal affiliates tend to rate their own family life against a higher bar than Nones.
As faith becomes a less important part of American family life, the data show major disparities in marital strength and commitment between regular churchgoers and their less devout counterparts, whether Catholic or Protestant. The link between faith values and marital stability is clear.
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The conclusion, therefore, is certainly not to abandon one’s affiliation for better outcomes, as undoubtedly churchgoers are thriving the most in these areas. Rather, nominal affiliates may deserve more sociological and community attention than they have previously been given.
At the waystation of faith and falling away, nominal Protestants must not be counted out. Protestant church leaders and congregants must invest time in forming marriage-minded young people and helping strengthen the Christian marriages around them.
Jane Lankes Smith is a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, and research scientist at the Institute for Population Research at The Ohio State University. She holds a PhD in sociology and demography from Pennsylvania State University.