From Baptists to Methodists, Catholics to Quakers, America’s Christian churches have experienced declining attendance and membership for more than 30 years. But the Catholic Church may be rebounding with the help of Gen Z men, according to a recent Washington Post story.

Christian churches filled their pews on Sunday mornings for several generations leading up to 1990. As society became increasingly secular and various scandals plagued churches and denominations in the U.S. and abroad, the exodus of churchgoers began. At the same time, the non-religious population grew rapidly, and the Gen Z generation, which consists of people in their 20s and 30s, grew up outside Christian churches.

Andrew Lohse, 36, author of Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy, explained Gen Z men’s new interest in Catholicism this way: “Gen Z men face a time of choosing. It’s either porn, drugs, gambling and debt or truth, beauty, discipline and meeting a pretty girl at Mass.”

The purported turnaround among Gen Z men began when Catholic influencers on TikTok and Instagram began sharing their faith online with new audiences. These influencers received the greatest response from men in their 20s and 30s who were disillusioned by the modern, secular society in which they live.

Pew Research Center reported in December that among Catholics, young men are now about as religious as women in the same age group. This change is driven by American women’s declining interest in religion rather than American men’s increased interest in Catholicism, the center said.

One unnamed woman was quoted as saying, “Why should I be a part of an oppressive and unjust structure that refuses, in practice, to honor my femininity and dignity as an equal to men?”

The Post story, published in early April, said that men have turned to Catholicism for several reasons, including a desire for more stability and purpose in their lives, a greater sense of community, and a longing for traditional values and more structure.

Gen Z content creator Anthony Gross told the Post that he recently moved to New York City and began documenting his search for “the best Catholic church in NYC.” He said he wanted to find a beautiful church that had a community of young people and “no whack political stuff.” He explained that he found his new church home after a young woman on LinkedIn contacted him to suggest “St. Joe’s” as his new church.

“The pendulum is swinging,” he said. “Gen Z is turning back to God.”

Gross added that St. Joe’s church in New York City is a focal point for the city’s young Catholics. He noted that he’s going “solo” for the moment, but finding a potential partner was a major selling point for him. Another member of the church, who asked not to be identified, told the Post that Sunday night mass at St. Joe’s typically draws a standing-room crowd.

The church’s pastor, the Rev. Boniface Endorf, said that attendance has increased by about 20 percent in the last six months. “A year and a half ago, if 60 people stayed for the church’s wine social after a Sunday evening service, it was a good night. These days, they average about 200 people,” he told the Post.

Father Endorf explained, “Our culture pushes that the meaning of life is consumerism and career.” However, many young adults are “looking for something more than what they can produce and what they can buy.”

Yet, there are potential problems, according to the Post. “Several apps and tech companies have popped up that offer digital aides to Catholic practices,” it explained. Two specific apps are Exodus90 and D180. The former offers three months of daily challenges such as prayer, cold showers and almsgiving, the Post said. The latter is a 180-day program that helps men determine whether they are being called to the priesthood.

One young man who tried the D180 app said he decided not to enter the priesthood. He added, “One side of me is worried. The church shouldn’t be a social media trendy thing, but it is becoming one.”

The website Medium, which describes itself as “a home for human stories and ideas,” pointed out that Gen Z men are apparently more religious than women. However, the story urged people to be cautious about celebrating and said the narrowing of the gender gap points to “a worrying future for American Christianity and society in general.”

Medium explained that Gen Z men are more likely than Gen Z women to do the following:

• Support Christian nationalism
• Believe the end of the world is imminent
• Be familiar with ideas such as repealing American women’s right to vote
• See themselves as victims of modern culture

The story added that young men who see themselves as victims are more likely to be evangelical, which is a faith tradition led by men. The concern is that some churches and groups empower men by promising them the “top spot in the social hierarchy.”

Gen Z men may be “more religious” than Gen Z women, but in this context, the word religious” means “a healthy dose of Christian Nationalism and a fair amount of misogyny,” according to research analysis by sociologists Paul Djupe and Brooklyn Walker.

“Grievance rhetoric plays on young men’s legitimate frustrations, absolves them of responsibility for either their problems or their growth, and draws them to communities that espouse rigid gender hierarchies,” they said.

In the meantime, the effects of Gen Z dynamics on issues such as religion and family life remain unclear.