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Engagement Party

Spirituality in America, from AI Jesus to Wicca

Engagement Party

CNN

News, Society & Culture, Entertainment News, Arts

4.6986 Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Audie talks with CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan about how people are reshaping their spiritual lives -- from Wicca to aliens -- and searching for new sources of meaning. Donie is exploring all of this in a new docuseries called “Devoted.” It’s available on CNN All Access. --  This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta.  Senior Producer: Matt Martinez  Technical Director: Dan Dzula   Executive Producer:  Steve Lickteig  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

I'm Audie Cornish. This is the assignment. And over the last year, we've seen plenty of stories about the resurgence of religion in America, especially among younger people.

0:10.4

I remember talking about this on an old episode around the election of Pope Leo, because there is a major resurgence, for instance, of young men in the Catholic Church.

0:19.8

But the thing is, the story doesn't end in the pews,

0:22.6

because at the same time, a very different kind of spiritual search is unfolding,

0:27.4

one that's happening far outside traditional churches and synagogues.

0:31.7

I want you to feel your energy being connected, feel your energy being open.

0:36.2

Here I am, sitting under some copper wires, surrounded by witches in the middle of a park in

0:43.7

California.

0:45.1

Getting what I'm told is supposed to be a spiritual cleanse.

0:53.1

While some people are returning to religion, others are moving in the opposite direction

0:57.8

towards modern witchcraft and paganism.

1:01.1

And across all of these spaces, the pattern is the same.

1:05.1

People are overwhelmed.

1:06.6

Institutions feel shaky, and there's just like growing desire for something more grounding,

1:13.0

ancient, or frankly something just more meaningful than what they've had before.

1:18.2

So today I'm talking with CNN's Donio Sullivan, who is following these shifts up close.

1:23.1

He's actually got a new series out called Devoted.

1:25.2

And in it, he's looking at how Americans are

1:28.2

reshaping their spiritual lives, how they're questioning old norms, and building, let's call

1:35.3

them new paths towards purpose in a moment that is defined by stress and uncertainty.

1:40.9

So stay with us.

1:45.6

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