Contemporary American Religion: Secularized Or Preserved?

The state of American religion is a controversial issue, much debated by sociologists, anthropologists, and political theorists. Early theorists claim that American religion has been secularized just like other religions in world. Later, when American religion prospered, they suggested that either American religion was no longer sacred in nature, or American religion is somehow exceptional. However, other scholars argue that American religion is not secularized at all. American religion has diffused and relocated into society, but definitely not secularized. They state that social change does not necessary damage the health of religion, and in some cases, it may even boost religious growth, which is the case in America.This paper aims to provide a general analysis of contemporary American religion from three basic facets of religion and attempts to demonstrate that American religion is preserved by defending religion against the secularization theory, examining statistics of the American religion, and analyzing possible reasons for religious vitality in America.