Kristy Nabhan-Warren, AVP of research and professor and Figge Chair in Catholic Studies, discussed how the state of the world is driving an increase in Catholic Church membership with more than a dozen Iowa news outlets over the last week.
Read, watch, and listen to more about this trend from Nabhan-Warren:
| “There’s a lot of things going on that people feel are outside of their control, and so historically, when humans feel that things are outside of their control, they seek out community. The Catholic Church offers that needed sense of community.” |
| “There’s a longing for beauty,” she said, pointing to elements like stained glass, incense and the overall atmosphere of a church service. |
| “I think that what the church offers is a refuge, it offers beauty, it offers mystery, it offers community.” |
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“This is definitely a nationwide trend of conversions. These conversions are happening across age groups, across the country, and most certainly in our own state of Iowa.” |
| She said the Catholic church’s more recent messaging of “Come as you are” and “Love everyone” has appealed to the younger generations. |
| Nabhan-Warren said that people who are converting don’t necessarily agree with everything about the Catholic Church. |
| “[reversion] isn't for the theology…but they're thinking meta level.” |
Nabhan-Warren was elected as the 2027 President of the American Catholic Historical Association. Her research focuses on the intersections of religion, work, and migration in the Midwestern United States. She has authored five books, edits the book series Where Religion Lives, and has published dozens of peer-reviewed articles.