Lauren Jackson

But we're also seeing this across the political spectrum.

And if you take a step back, this is not just about Christianity.

It's about all other major religions as well.

So the main takeaway is that the story of faith and religion and belief in this country is really at an inflection point.

And as I said, you've been examining what's been driving all of this.

You've been talking to people about what they believe and why they believe it.

I can imagine that these conversations are quite intimate.

I often say I feel like I'm part reporter, part therapist, because it takes...

A lot of attention and a lot of time to attend to these stories.

They're so intimate.

They're so personal.

And it's also personal for me.

My life, in a way, mirrors the shifts we've been seeing in Americans' attitudes toward religion and also their religious practices over the past three decades.

Could you tell me a little bit about your journey?

I was raised in a very, very conservative and very religious place.

I was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas.

I was raised a devout Mormon or member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

And my family was really practicing.

When I was, you know, a little girl, I used to write and send articles to the church magazines because my dream job was to work as a writer for the church magazines.

In high school, I had a 6 a.m.