This is not a new observation. Robert Putnam wrote about this in his book American Grace [0]. We saw this in the 70's and 80's with the rise of the Moral/Religious Right. Church attendances, especially in newer, Evangelical churches grew. This demographic/identity shift was essentially a reaction against the major social movements of the Sixties - civil rights, women's lib, and the youth movements.

[0] https://books.google.com/books?id=cKmXDES703wC