New polling suggests that the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has sparked a surge in spiritual activity across the U.S., especially among younger Americans.
The Barna Group released findings Wednesday from a survey of 5,003 U.S. adults conducted roughly two months after Kirk was killed on Sept. 10 during an outdoor speaking event at Utah Valley University. Interviews were completed between Oct. 17 and Oct. 30 among adults ages 18 and older.
One in four respondents said they engaged in some form of action following Kirk’s death, with spiritual responses outpacing political ones.
While 71% of U.S. adults reported taking no action after the assassination, 18% said they undertook a spiritual action, 5% said they engaged in political activity, and another 6% reported doing both.
The data shows that younger Americans and practicing Christians were the most inclined to respond spiritually. At least 22% of Generation Z and millennial respondents reported taking spiritual rather than political action, and 40% of practicing Christians said they took a spiritual step in response to Kirk’s death.
Barna Group CEO David Kinnaman addressed public speculation that Kirk’s murder caused a spike in church attendance.
“There has been some discussion about Charlie Kirk's passing as directly responsible for a surge in church attendance,” he said. “Barna research does not confirm that direct connection, although there had already been positive research showing that Millennials and Gen Z were returning to church well before Kirk's passing.”
Kinnaman noted that the results are consistent with earlier Barna findings pointing to increased spiritual openness nationwide, especially among younger generations.
In September, Barna released data showing that millennial and Gen Z Christians were attending church more frequently than in previous years and more often than older adults.
Following Kirk’s assassination, pastors in various parts of the country reported temporary upticks in church attendance, with many noting increased participation from young adults.
Survey participants were also asked to evaluate several potential outcomes related to Kirk’s death, including its possible impact on Christianity among younger generations. Forty-seven percent of adults predicted a positive effect, while 19% foresaw a negative one.
Among Gen Z respondents, 46% anticipated a positive outcome versus 25% who expected a negative one. Millennials were slightly more optimistic, with 50% predicting a positive impact compared to 21% who expected the opposite.
Practicing Christians expressed the strongest confidence, with 71% believing Kirk’s death would have a positive influence on Christian faith among younger Americans. Eleven percent, however, felt it might have a negative effect.
The survey also found increased optimism among practicing Christians across broader cultural and civic categories, “including civil conversations (53 percent positive vs. 22 percent negative), politics generally (49 percent vs. 28 percent), ending gun violence (42 percent vs. 18 percent), and cooperation between political groups (44 percent vs. 24 percent).”
