Get RNS’ thoughtful, essential religion reporting every morning. Sign up for free!

(RNS) — Amid anecdotal claims of a Gen Z religious revival, religion data analysts have been working over the last year to determine what, if anything, is changing in the religious lives of America’s young people.

A new report from Pew Research Center, released Wednesday (Oct. 28), presents startling and conflicting findings. Most striking — although with several caveats — is that 41% of young adults surveyed who were born between 2004 and 2008 (ages 18 to 22) reported attending religious services at least monthly, a higher percentage than the U.S. public (33%) and any other age group except those born before 1950 (43%).

Chip Rotolo, senior researcher on Pew’s religion and public life team, called the finding “pretty remarkably high.” But he also noted the data is from a small cohort and contrasts drastically with outcomes from the next age group.…