Young Gen Z men are increasingly turning to religion as a new wave of conservatism sweeps the United States.

Typically, young men have been less religiously engaged than their female counterparts - but this trend seems to be reversing.

A recent New York Times article suggested that for the first time in America, young men are now the biggest Christian group.

This new wave of young men is particularly drawn towards conservative Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism. 

On The Pat Kenny Show today, Iona Institute patron and Irish Times columnist Breda O’Brien said she thinks there is a "real search" among young men "for community, for meaning and for positive ways" to be a man.

“I'm not saying being a young woman is a picnic in today's world, it's far from it [but] young men, I feel that their identity is under threat - they're constantly being told about toxic masculinity and so on," she said.

“I'm not saying that it's a universally positive thing, because there definitely is some kind of connection between moving more right politically ... I think it would be a pity if people were being attracted to Catholicism, because they see it as almost like an accessory to right wing beliefs.”

Also on the show, Augustinian Priest Father Iggy O'Donovan said he believes this phenomenon is purely an American one and not happening in Ireland.

“There's very few young Irish men turning up in church,” he said.

A priest saying mass at a church in France, 28-3-21. Image: robertharding / Alamy

Ms O’Brien said she found it interesting that Father O’Donovan is not seeing young men in church.

“They're being, I think, more attracted to what you might call movements within the church, and they're very much present there, but they're not always being heard,” she said.

“The synodal process has just concluded for the moment in Rome, and there were big gatherings in Ireland to discuss it, to contribute to a report that would go forward to the Vatican.

Young Men and Women Singing Praise Songs in a Church Building. Image: Pamela Maxwell / Alamy Stock Photo

Ms O'Brien said she found the young people's submission for the report "really sad".

“They said that they turned up to synodal process meetings and they weren't exactly greeted with open arms - some of them said they felt drowned out,” she said. 

“Now this is a church that's desperately worried about dying, and young people are turning up and they feel drowned out.

“Some of them said that they felt that some that people saw them as an anomaly, or that they didn't really exist and didn't believe them when they said, ‘Well, lots of my friends are actually really interested in their faith and into their faith’.

“I think that's a shame.”

Very different

Ms O’Brien said she thinks what's happening in Ireland is very different to what's happening in the US.

“There's no linkage that I can see between any kind of resurgence in Catholicism and the minuscule and appalling far right that we have,” she said.

“It's very small resurgence [in Ireland] in religion among young men [but] it's not being coupled with kind of donning a MAGA hat.”

Listen back here:

Shot of a young man praying in a church. Image: Panther Media GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo