Secularization has been studied for decades by sociologists of religion. Long-running surveys in the United States and Europe show steady generational decline in religious affiliation and participation, and yet this trend has largely been ignored by gerontologists and life course researchers. We examined data from the Health and Retirement Study, hypothesizing between-cohort declines in religious participation. Based on data from a sample stratified by 10-year birth cohorts, we identified variation in patterns of religious involvement from 2004 to 2016. Measures of attending religious services, feeling religion is very important, and having good friends in the congregation show age-graded patterns; older cohorts have a higher level of religiosity than those following them, with only minor exceptions. For all three measures, differences by cohort within waves of data are statistically significant. We confirm, with longitudinal data, the findings of repeated cross-sectional surveys in the United States showing a generational pattern of decline in religiousness. The consequences of this loss of a common social tie for future older cohorts are unknown, since current older cohorts still maintain a high level of religious participation. However, future generations of older adults are likely to be less familiar with social support from religious institutions, and those institutions may be less available to provide such support as the apparently inexorable processes of secularization continue.

宗教社会学家对世俗化进行了数十年的研究。在美国和欧洲进行的长期调查显示，宗教信仰和参与的代际持续下降，但这一趋势在很大程度上被老年学家和生命历程研究人员所忽视。我们检查了健康与退休研究的数据，假设宗教参与的队列间下降。根据按 10 年出生队列分层的样本数据，我们确定了 2004 年至 2016 年宗教参与模式的变化。图案；年长的人群比追随他们的人群具有更高的宗教信仰，只有少数例外。对于所有三个措施，数据波中不同群组的差异在统计上是显着的。我们通过纵向数据证实了美国重复横断面调查的结果，表明宗教信仰的代际下降模式。未来老年群体失去共同社会纽带的后果尚不清楚，因为目前的老年群体仍然保持着高水平的宗教参与。然而，未来几代老年人可能不太熟悉宗教机构的社会支持，而且随着显然不可阻挡的世俗化进程的继续，这些机构可能无法提供此类支持。在美国反复进行的横断面调查的结果显示了宗教信仰的代际下降模式。未来老年群体失去共同社会纽带的后果尚不清楚，因为目前的老年群体仍然保持着高水平的宗教参与。然而，未来几代老年人可能不太熟悉宗教机构的社会支持，而且随着显然不可阻挡的世俗化进程的继续，这些机构可能无法提供此类支持。在美国反复进行的横断面调查的结果显示了宗教信仰的代际下降模式。未来老年群体失去共同社会纽带的后果尚不清楚，因为目前的老年群体仍然保持着高水平的宗教参与。然而，未来几代老年人可能不太熟悉宗教机构的社会支持，而且随着显然不可阻挡的世俗化进程的继续，这些机构可能无法提供此类支持。