"But I don't necessarily define my faith by going to church every Sunday"
About this Quote
The subtext is about ownership. For a pop star whose life has been endlessly audited - by tabloids, fans, and moral gatekeepers - faith becomes another territory people want to police. Cyrus flips that dynamic by relocating spirituality from an institution to an interior space: private, flexible, harder to shame. It’s a move that resonates with a generation raised amid declining church membership, rising “spiritual but not religious” identification, and a broader skepticism toward institutions that feel hypocritical or exclusionary.
Context matters because Cyrus’s public image has often been framed as a morality play: child star gone rogue, then self-reflective adult. In that storyline, “church every Sunday” isn’t just a practice; it’s a cultural symbol of conformity, respectability, and being “back on track.” Her sentence resists that simplistic redemption script. She’s asserting that faith can coexist with messiness, evolution, and nontraditional rhythms of life.
The intent, ultimately, is control over narrative: belief without surveillance, spirituality without a dress code, and morality that isn’t outsourced to weekly attendance.
Quote Details
| Topic | Faith |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Cyrus, Miley. (2026, January 15). But I don't necessarily define my faith by going to church every Sunday. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-i-dont-necessarily-define-my-faith-by-going-172560/
Chicago Style
Cyrus, Miley. "But I don't necessarily define my faith by going to church every Sunday." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-i-dont-necessarily-define-my-faith-by-going-172560/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"But I don't necessarily define my faith by going to church every Sunday." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-i-dont-necessarily-define-my-faith-by-going-172560/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.






