Understanding Digital Religion in the Lives of Black Christian Young Adults

Christian communities are increasingly using digital tools to engage their members. However, many young adults are moving away from traditional religious affiliations. This trend is notable among young adult Black Americans, who historically have maintained stronger religious identities than other racial groups. Given these converging trends of strong religious identity, increasing technology use, and the decline in traditional affiliation, we conducted an online survey and semi-structured interviews with Black Christians from 18 to 25 to understand their techno-spiritual practices. We found that while many participants used technology for Bible study and worship, most still valued non-digital aspects of spiritual practice; when watching live-streamed worship, most participants did not actively engage online. Finally, we observed a growing interest in the use of generative AI for spiritual guidance and study. Our findings provide insights in understanding techno-spirituality and spiritual practices for a marginalized young adult population in the United States.