Afnemend geloof in God en toenemend geloof in een hogere werkelijkheid? Verklaringen van trends tussen 1979 en 2000 [Declining belief in God and increasing belief in the supernatural? Trends between 1979 and 2000 explained]

Religion is gradually losing its influence in Dutch society, which is one aspect of ‘secularization’. In this study we focus on individual secularization, namely the increasing number of non-religious people in the Netherlands. More specifically, traditional Christian faith and belief in the supernatural are examined. First, the trends in these forms of belief are described for the period 1979-2000. Second, explanations for the trends are formulated and tested using OLS regression analyses accompanied by a simulation technique. During the 1979-2000 period, both traditional Christian faith and belief in the supernatural declined. The decline of Christian belief and belief in the supernatural is mainly caused by compositional effects, namely the slow but continuous replacement of older religious cohorts by younger non-religious cohorts