According to a new study from Lifeway Research, one in four Americans (26%) surveyed observe Lent, while 74% skip the 40-day observation before Easter, which is traditionally marked by fasting.
The two groups most likely to say they participate in Lent are Catholics (59%) and Hispanics (39%). Conversely, respondents who say they “rarely or never attend” a religious service are more likely to ignore Lent (89%).
Half of those surveyed (50%) say they fast from their favorite food or beverage or attend church services during Lent (49%). Nearly forty percent say they fast from a bad habit (37%), while others choose to give to others (36%) or pray more (34%).
A quarter of U.S. adults polled say they fast from a favorite activity (25%) or read Bible verses or devotions that focus on Lent (22%). Devotional reading geared towards Lent is more popular among African Americans (41%) and women (28% of women compared to 17% of men, respectively). Two percent of respondents say observing Lent includes none of these practices.
“For Christians attending non-liturgical churches, they may not even notice the season of Lent has arrived,” Scott McConnell, the Executive Director of Lifeway Research, said. “It is not that they look down on the practices of fasting, prayer, and charity. But if they participate, they may be exchanging additional time with God for other forms of self-denial.”
The margin of error is plus or minus 3.3%. To read the full article, click here. To review the complete report, click here.
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Director of The Raceless Gospel Initiative, an associate editor, host of the Good Faith Media podcast, “The Raceless Gospel” and author of Take Me to the Water: The Raceless Gospel as Baptismal Pedagogy for a Desegregated Church.
