Tim Clydesdale and Kathleen Garces-Foley
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- July 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190931353
- eISBN:
- 9780190931384
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190931353.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Few realize how much Americans’ journey through their twenties has changed during the past half-century or understand how incorrect popular assumptions about young adults’ religious, spiritual, and ...
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Few realize how much Americans’ journey through their twenties has changed during the past half-century or understand how incorrect popular assumptions about young adults’ religious, spiritual, and secular lives are. Today’s twentysomethings have been labelled the “lost generation”—for their presumed inability to identify and lead fulfilling lives, “kidults”—for their alleged refusal to “grow up” and accept adult responsibilities, and the “least religious generation”—for their purported disinterest in religion and spirituality. These characterizations are not only unflattering, they are deeply flawed. The Twentysomething Soul tells an optimistic story about American twentysomethings. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and a survey of thousands across America, it introduces readers to the full spectrum of American young adults, many of whom live purposefully, responsibly, and reflectively. Some prioritize faith and spirituality. Others reject their childhood religion to explore alternatives and practice a personal spirituality. Still others sideline religion and spirituality until their lives get settled or reject organized religion completely. There is change occurring in the religious and spiritual lives of young adults, but little of it is among the 1 in 4 American twentysomethings who have consistently prioritized religious commitment during the past half-century. The change is rather among the now 3 in 10 young adults who, though intentionally unaffiliated with religion, affirm a variety of religious, spiritual, and secular beliefs. The Twentysomething Soul will change the way readers view contemporary young adults, giving an accurate—and refreshing—understanding of their religious, spiritual, and secular lives.Less
Few realize how much Americans’ journey through their twenties has changed during the past half-century or understand how incorrect popular assumptions about young adults’ religious, spiritual, and secular lives are. Today’s twentysomethings have been labelled the “lost generation”—for their presumed inability to identify and lead fulfilling lives, “kidults”—for their alleged refusal to “grow up” and accept adult responsibilities, and the “least religious generation”—for their purported disinterest in religion and spirituality. These characterizations are not only unflattering, they are deeply flawed. The Twentysomething Soul tells an optimistic story about American twentysomethings. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and a survey of thousands across America, it introduces readers to the full spectrum of American young adults, many of whom live purposefully, responsibly, and reflectively. Some prioritize faith and spirituality. Others reject their childhood religion to explore alternatives and practice a personal spirituality. Still others sideline religion and spirituality until their lives get settled or reject organized religion completely. There is change occurring in the religious and spiritual lives of young adults, but little of it is among the 1 in 4 American twentysomethings who have consistently prioritized religious commitment during the past half-century. The change is rather among the now 3 in 10 young adults who, though intentionally unaffiliated with religion, affirm a variety of religious, spiritual, and secular beliefs. The Twentysomething Soul will change the way readers view contemporary young adults, giving an accurate—and refreshing—understanding of their religious, spiritual, and secular lives.
Russell M. Jeung, Seanan S. Fong, and Helen Jin Kim
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190875923
- eISBN:
- 9780190875954
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190875923.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Family Sacrifices provides a comprehensive, sociological portrait of Chinese Americans’ most cherished values, practices, and ethics, ultimately illuminating why this ethnic group is the most ...
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Family Sacrifices provides a comprehensive, sociological portrait of Chinese Americans’ most cherished values, practices, and ethics, ultimately illuminating why this ethnic group is the most nonreligious (52%) in the United States. Though unaffiliated, Chinese Americans adhere to the moral system of familism, a transpacific lived tradition rooted in Chinese Popular Religion and Confucianism, which prioritizes family above other commitments. Hybridizing their Chinese and American sensibilities, Chinese Americans employ familism as the primary narrative for constructing meaning, identity, and belonging. Research on the religiously unaffiliated in the U.S. focuses on nonbelief and nonbelonging. Yet the spiritual and ethical systems of China place more emphasis on ritual and virtue. To address this gap in understanding non-Western moral systems, Family Sacrifices employs the new theoretical concept of liyi, translated as “ritual propriety and righteous relations.” Reappropriated from its original Chinese usage, liyi is a needed breakthrough for understanding Chinese religiosity and the emergence of religious “nones” in the United States. Family Sacrifices is the first book based on national survey data on Asian American religious practices and a seminal text on the fastest-growing racial group in the United States. At the intersection of Asian American studies, sociology of religion, and religious studies, it is a much needed text for anyone working with Chinese Americans and the unaffiliated.Less
Family Sacrifices provides a comprehensive, sociological portrait of Chinese Americans’ most cherished values, practices, and ethics, ultimately illuminating why this ethnic group is the most nonreligious (52%) in the United States. Though unaffiliated, Chinese Americans adhere to the moral system of familism, a transpacific lived tradition rooted in Chinese Popular Religion and Confucianism, which prioritizes family above other commitments. Hybridizing their Chinese and American sensibilities, Chinese Americans employ familism as the primary narrative for constructing meaning, identity, and belonging. Research on the religiously unaffiliated in the U.S. focuses on nonbelief and nonbelonging. Yet the spiritual and ethical systems of China place more emphasis on ritual and virtue. To address this gap in understanding non-Western moral systems, Family Sacrifices employs the new theoretical concept of liyi, translated as “ritual propriety and righteous relations.” Reappropriated from its original Chinese usage, liyi is a needed breakthrough for understanding Chinese religiosity and the emergence of religious “nones” in the United States. Family Sacrifices is the first book based on national survey data on Asian American religious practices and a seminal text on the fastest-growing racial group in the United States. At the intersection of Asian American studies, sociology of religion, and religious studies, it is a much needed text for anyone working with Chinese Americans and the unaffiliated.
Vern L. Bengtson, Norella M. Putney, and Susan C. Harris
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199948659
- eISBN:
- 9780199369867
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199948659.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The fastest-growing religious category in America is comprised of the not religious: atheists, agnostics, those who are religiously unaffiliated or uninterested, and those who call themselves ...
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The fastest-growing religious category in America is comprised of the not religious: atheists, agnostics, those who are religiously unaffiliated or uninterested, and those who call themselves “spiritual but not religious.” Previous research suggested that a majority of these come from a religious background but have rejected their parents’ faith. In this study, however, by 2005 it was far more common to see a high degree of intergenerational similarity with nonreligious children following in the path of their nonreligious parents. Such parent–child similarity increased markedly over the thirty-five years of the study: In 1970 only one in seven young adult nones had parents who also were nonaffiliated; by 2005 this had increased to six in ten youth.Less
The fastest-growing religious category in America is comprised of the not religious: atheists, agnostics, those who are religiously unaffiliated or uninterested, and those who call themselves “spiritual but not religious.” Previous research suggested that a majority of these come from a religious background but have rejected their parents’ faith. In this study, however, by 2005 it was far more common to see a high degree of intergenerational similarity with nonreligious children following in the path of their nonreligious parents. Such parent–child similarity increased markedly over the thirty-five years of the study: In 1970 only one in seven young adult nones had parents who also were nonaffiliated; by 2005 this had increased to six in ten youth.
Shari Rabin
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781479830473
- eISBN:
- 9781479869855
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9781479830473.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
The introduction presents the case of a single mobile Jew with eclectic religious practices, Edward Rosewater, arguing that he is a compelling if unexpected starting point from which to redescribe ...
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The introduction presents the case of a single mobile Jew with eclectic religious practices, Edward Rosewater, arguing that he is a compelling if unexpected starting point from which to redescribe religion in America. Building on religious studies methodologies developed in the American Catholic context, this book helps explain American religious eclecticism. As with contemporary “nones,” for nineteenth-century Americans like Rosewater, congregations, denominations, and stable identities were not obvious or inevitable. Rather, they were particular strategies—among many others—for coping with life amidst the individuating forces of American law, economics, and racial logics. While some Jews believed that Judaism was already suitable for all locales, most Jews recognized that they would have to reconcile Judaism with this new context, whether through individual adaptations like those of Rosewater or through the national projects proposed by famous leaders Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise and Isaac Leeser.Less
The introduction presents the case of a single mobile Jew with eclectic religious practices, Edward Rosewater, arguing that he is a compelling if unexpected starting point from which to redescribe religion in America. Building on religious studies methodologies developed in the American Catholic context, this book helps explain American religious eclecticism. As with contemporary “nones,” for nineteenth-century Americans like Rosewater, congregations, denominations, and stable identities were not obvious or inevitable. Rather, they were particular strategies—among many others—for coping with life amidst the individuating forces of American law, economics, and racial logics. While some Jews believed that Judaism was already suitable for all locales, most Jews recognized that they would have to reconcile Judaism with this new context, whether through individual adaptations like those of Rosewater or through the national projects proposed by famous leaders Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise and Isaac Leeser.
Linda A. Mercadante
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199931002
- eISBN:
- 9780199367467
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931002.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
“Nones”—those without religious affiliation—now outnumber even the largest Protestant denominations in America. Many of these “nones” self-identify as “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR). This book ...
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“Nones”—those without religious affiliation—now outnumber even the largest Protestant denominations in America. Many of these “nones” self-identify as “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR). This book represents one of the first qualitative research studies of SBNRs, analyzing about one hundred in-depth interviews, as well as many more informal conversations, site visits, and focus groups. In it, spiritual explorers describe their journeys, unpack their beliefs, and explain their feelings about organized religion. The book seriously considers the latent theology within this movement and pays particular attention to interviewees’ ideas of divine transcendence, human nature, community, and afterlife. Even though SBNRs routinely discount creeds and doctrines, their comments reveal an emerging set of beliefs, many of them purposely in opposition to doctrines they associate with Christianity. This growing SBNR “theology” promises to dramatically change the spiritual, social, and political character of America, affecting inter-religious dialogue, church growth, and the common good of society. Since SBNRs can be found inside as well as outside faith groups, the research challenges widespread views of religion in America. The book not only contests superficial attitudes toward the SBNR movement, more importantly it unpacks a profound shift going on today in American religious belief and practice.Less
“Nones”—those without religious affiliation—now outnumber even the largest Protestant denominations in America. Many of these “nones” self-identify as “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR). This book represents one of the first qualitative research studies of SBNRs, analyzing about one hundred in-depth interviews, as well as many more informal conversations, site visits, and focus groups. In it, spiritual explorers describe their journeys, unpack their beliefs, and explain their feelings about organized religion. The book seriously considers the latent theology within this movement and pays particular attention to interviewees’ ideas of divine transcendence, human nature, community, and afterlife. Even though SBNRs routinely discount creeds and doctrines, their comments reveal an emerging set of beliefs, many of them purposely in opposition to doctrines they associate with Christianity. This growing SBNR “theology” promises to dramatically change the spiritual, social, and political character of America, affecting inter-religious dialogue, church growth, and the common good of society. Since SBNRs can be found inside as well as outside faith groups, the research challenges widespread views of religion in America. The book not only contests superficial attitudes toward the SBNR movement, more importantly it unpacks a profound shift going on today in American religious belief and practice.
Tim Clydesdale and Kathleen Garces-Foley
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- July 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190931353
- eISBN:
- 9780190931384
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190931353.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Four young adults with thoughtful religious, spiritual, and secular views are profiled. Maria, a devout Catholic Latina who is a graduate student in speech pathology; Jeremy, an enthusiastic Mainline ...
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Four young adults with thoughtful religious, spiritual, and secular views are profiled. Maria, a devout Catholic Latina who is a graduate student in speech pathology; Jeremy, an enthusiastic Mainline Protestant whose gay and biracial identity left him wary of religion; Lee, an Evangelical convert who switched from a Chinese to a multiracial congregation; and Abby, who rejected the White middle-class Evangelicalism of her childhood for atheism and then adopted an eclectic spirituality. Emerging adulthood is then described, as is the book’s qualitative and survey methodology and its focus on 91% of American twentysomethings who identify as Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, or religiously unaffiliated (i.e., Nones). The book’s seven scholarly contributions are stated and the next six chapters are introduced.Less
Four young adults with thoughtful religious, spiritual, and secular views are profiled. Maria, a devout Catholic Latina who is a graduate student in speech pathology; Jeremy, an enthusiastic Mainline Protestant whose gay and biracial identity left him wary of religion; Lee, an Evangelical convert who switched from a Chinese to a multiracial congregation; and Abby, who rejected the White middle-class Evangelicalism of her childhood for atheism and then adopted an eclectic spirituality. Emerging adulthood is then described, as is the book’s qualitative and survey methodology and its focus on 91% of American twentysomethings who identify as Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, or religiously unaffiliated (i.e., Nones). The book’s seven scholarly contributions are stated and the next six chapters are introduced.
Tim Clydesdale and Kathleen Garces-Foley
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- July 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190931353
- eISBN:
- 9780190931384
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190931353.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The story of Ted, a World War II sailor for the U.S. Navy, and his teenage bride, Dottie, opens the chapter, setting up the contrast with emerging adulthood today. Their early marriage, five ...
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The story of Ted, a World War II sailor for the U.S. Navy, and his teenage bride, Dottie, opens the chapter, setting up the contrast with emerging adulthood today. Their early marriage, five children, and Ted’s living wage from work for the electric company represent an era long gone. Financial independence today requires dual incomes and years of preparation, pushing back marriage and parenthood nearly a decade. Despite these changes, the religious lives of American twentysomethings demonstrate stability more than change. Survey analysis of the project’s National Study of American Twentysomethings (2013) and the National Science Foundation’s General Social Survey (1972–2016) demonstrate a stable proportion of religious committed young adults—about 1 in 4, and a rise in religiously unaffiliated young adults —from the ranks of the semi-religious. Widespread prayer, participation in worship, favorable attitudes toward congregations, and frustration with angry “religious people” are among the chapter’s notable findings.Less
The story of Ted, a World War II sailor for the U.S. Navy, and his teenage bride, Dottie, opens the chapter, setting up the contrast with emerging adulthood today. Their early marriage, five children, and Ted’s living wage from work for the electric company represent an era long gone. Financial independence today requires dual incomes and years of preparation, pushing back marriage and parenthood nearly a decade. Despite these changes, the religious lives of American twentysomethings demonstrate stability more than change. Survey analysis of the project’s National Study of American Twentysomethings (2013) and the National Science Foundation’s General Social Survey (1972–2016) demonstrate a stable proportion of religious committed young adults—about 1 in 4, and a rise in religiously unaffiliated young adults —from the ranks of the semi-religious. Widespread prayer, participation in worship, favorable attitudes toward congregations, and frustration with angry “religious people” are among the chapter’s notable findings.
Tim Clydesdale and Kathleen Garces-Foley
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- July 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190931353
- eISBN:
- 9780190931384
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190931353.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Relying on in-depth interviews and the National Study of American Twentysomethings, this chapter describes the heterogeneous young adults who are religious unaffiliated. Known in the popular press as ...
More
Relying on in-depth interviews and the National Study of American Twentysomethings, this chapter describes the heterogeneous young adults who are religious unaffiliated. Known in the popular press as the Nones, most of these young adults were raised in a Christian religious tradition, which they now reject, but that does not mean they have no interest in religion. Some are anti-religious and many are disinterested, but others hold traditional beliefs in a personal God and in an afterlife while rejecting religious institutions. Still others create an eclectic spirituality that draws from many religious traditions. The chapter provides estimated proportions of Nones who are philosophical secularists, indifferent secularists, spiritual eclectics, and unaffiliated believers. This chapter examines the role of context in the fluid religious, spiritual, and secular identities of twentysomething Nones and reports on the values, behaviors, and confidence in social institutions of this growing population.Less
Relying on in-depth interviews and the National Study of American Twentysomethings, this chapter describes the heterogeneous young adults who are religious unaffiliated. Known in the popular press as the Nones, most of these young adults were raised in a Christian religious tradition, which they now reject, but that does not mean they have no interest in religion. Some are anti-religious and many are disinterested, but others hold traditional beliefs in a personal God and in an afterlife while rejecting religious institutions. Still others create an eclectic spirituality that draws from many religious traditions. The chapter provides estimated proportions of Nones who are philosophical secularists, indifferent secularists, spiritual eclectics, and unaffiliated believers. This chapter examines the role of context in the fluid religious, spiritual, and secular identities of twentysomething Nones and reports on the values, behaviors, and confidence in social institutions of this growing population.
Linda A. Mercadante
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199931002
- eISBN:
- 9780199367467
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931002.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The dramatic rise in the number of religiously unaffiliated, who nevertheless claim to be “spiritual but not religious,” suggests the need to rethink the categories of spirituality and religion. ...
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The dramatic rise in the number of religiously unaffiliated, who nevertheless claim to be “spiritual but not religious,” suggests the need to rethink the categories of spirituality and religion. Although more a rhetorical device than true divorce, this important shift demands the study of the beliefs of “nones.” The “why” of this and the interview process are explained. The book asks whether this is a spiritual crisis or revolution, and whether the situation is really spirituality versus religion. It also explains why the study of belief, although often neglected by the social sciences, is critical. The interview process and the interviewees are discussed, showing that qualitative research is an appropriate method to elicit SBNR beliefs. A main contention is that SBNRs need to be heard in their own voices.Less
The dramatic rise in the number of religiously unaffiliated, who nevertheless claim to be “spiritual but not religious,” suggests the need to rethink the categories of spirituality and religion. Although more a rhetorical device than true divorce, this important shift demands the study of the beliefs of “nones.” The “why” of this and the interview process are explained. The book asks whether this is a spiritual crisis or revolution, and whether the situation is really spirituality versus religion. It also explains why the study of belief, although often neglected by the social sciences, is critical. The interview process and the interviewees are discussed, showing that qualitative research is an appropriate method to elicit SBNR beliefs. A main contention is that SBNRs need to be heard in their own voices.
Linda A. Mercadante
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199931002
- eISBN:
- 9780199367467
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931002.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Whether aberration or heritage, the surge in organized religion during the 1950s and early 1960s still functions as the “gold standard” for many today, especially Protestants and Catholics. Athough ...
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Whether aberration or heritage, the surge in organized religion during the 1950s and early 1960s still functions as the “gold standard” for many today, especially Protestants and Catholics. Athough there was still a common meta-narrative that many shared, giving stability to public and private life, it was soon to disintegrate. This seemingly idyllic picture also contained problems, which are discussed. The dramatic change in the ensuing years, especially during the later 1960s and beyond, as well as the parallel rise in conservative evangelicals and “nones” during the 1990s, is explored. The chapter refers to Robert Putnam’s work on the cultural shocks that promoted this change. It also discusses the rise in those disaffiliated and non-affiliated from religion. It looks more closely at the specifics about the “nones” and those who describe themselves “spiritual but not religious.”Less
Whether aberration or heritage, the surge in organized religion during the 1950s and early 1960s still functions as the “gold standard” for many today, especially Protestants and Catholics. Athough there was still a common meta-narrative that many shared, giving stability to public and private life, it was soon to disintegrate. This seemingly idyllic picture also contained problems, which are discussed. The dramatic change in the ensuing years, especially during the later 1960s and beyond, as well as the parallel rise in conservative evangelicals and “nones” during the 1990s, is explored. The chapter refers to Robert Putnam’s work on the cultural shocks that promoted this change. It also discusses the rise in those disaffiliated and non-affiliated from religion. It looks more closely at the specifics about the “nones” and those who describe themselves “spiritual but not religious.”
Linda A. Mercadante
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199931002
- eISBN:
- 9780199367467
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931002.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The interviewees are categorized according to age cohorts and types. Although there were few “nones” who volunteered to be interviewed from “The Greatest Generation” (1901?1924), there were many ...
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The interviewees are categorized according to age cohorts and types. Although there were few “nones” who volunteered to be interviewed from “The Greatest Generation” (1901?1924), there were many women and men who came forward from “The Silent Generation” (1925?1945), “The Baby Boomers” (1946?1964), “Gen X” (1965?1981), and “Millennials” (born after 1981). The most enthusiastic interviewees were Baby Boomers and women. Cutting across the generations were five distinct types: Dissenters (those who object to specific doctrines or practices in religion and have either left or drifted away), Casuals (those who take spirituality and religion on an “as-needed” basis), Explorers (those who have a spiritual “wanderlust,” like spiritual tourists), Seekers (those who are looking for a more or less permanent spiritual home), and Immigrants (those who are trying out a new religion or spirituality but, like immigrants, may be having difficulty adjusting). Examples and many illustrative quotes from each generation and type are given.Less
The interviewees are categorized according to age cohorts and types. Although there were few “nones” who volunteered to be interviewed from “The Greatest Generation” (1901?1924), there were many women and men who came forward from “The Silent Generation” (1925?1945), “The Baby Boomers” (1946?1964), “Gen X” (1965?1981), and “Millennials” (born after 1981). The most enthusiastic interviewees were Baby Boomers and women. Cutting across the generations were five distinct types: Dissenters (those who object to specific doctrines or practices in religion and have either left or drifted away), Casuals (those who take spirituality and religion on an “as-needed” basis), Explorers (those who have a spiritual “wanderlust,” like spiritual tourists), Seekers (those who are looking for a more or less permanent spiritual home), and Immigrants (those who are trying out a new religion or spirituality but, like immigrants, may be having difficulty adjusting). Examples and many illustrative quotes from each generation and type are given.
Linda A. Mercadante
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199931002
- eISBN:
- 9780199367467
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931002.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
There is no simple explanation for why the people in this book have felt compelled to minimize the importance of organized religion. Among the many reasons, however, prior research has given ...
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There is no simple explanation for why the people in this book have felt compelled to minimize the importance of organized religion. Among the many reasons, however, prior research has given inadequate consideration to the belief factor. This book suggests the need for more awareness of the theological issues that are playing into the decrease in religious affiliation. Although there is diversity in the beliefs these interviewees hold, an underlying consensus appears to be developing and this bears further attention. There are important theological and practical implications that could spring from this developing ethos. The chapter suggests some possible outcomes and potential problems that could emerge which are especially relevant to four audiences: the “nones” who are “spiritual but not religious,” American society in general, American religion, and the church.Less
There is no simple explanation for why the people in this book have felt compelled to minimize the importance of organized religion. Among the many reasons, however, prior research has given inadequate consideration to the belief factor. This book suggests the need for more awareness of the theological issues that are playing into the decrease in religious affiliation. Although there is diversity in the beliefs these interviewees hold, an underlying consensus appears to be developing and this bears further attention. There are important theological and practical implications that could spring from this developing ethos. The chapter suggests some possible outcomes and potential problems that could emerge which are especially relevant to four audiences: the “nones” who are “spiritual but not religious,” American society in general, American religion, and the church.
Elizabeth Drescher
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- April 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780199341221
- eISBN:
- 9780190263331
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199341221.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The growth of the so-called Nones—people unaffiliated with religious institutions—has captivated religious and political leaders concerned with the implications of a “decline of religion” in the ...
More
The growth of the so-called Nones—people unaffiliated with religious institutions—has captivated religious and political leaders concerned with the implications of a “decline of religion” in the United States. But most Nones are not non-believers, most were raised in religious households, and many have robust spiritual lives that intertwine with the lives of the religiously affiliated. Choosing Our Religion explores the spiritual lives of Nones based on more than 100 intensive interviews across the United States and a survey of more than 1,000 religiously affiliated and unaffiliated Americans. Exploring the spiritual practices of Atheists, Agnostics, the Spiritual-But-Not-Religious, Humanists, “just spiritual” Nones, and those who describe their spiritual identities as “nothing in particular,” the book moves beyond the demographic data to bring to life what is now the fastest growing religious demographic in the country. As Nones tell their stories of engaging the spiritual in everyday life through relationships with family, friends, and nature; through reimagined practices of prayer; through the mentors, teachers, and other resources that inform and inspire their spiritualities; through their ethical outlooks and moral values; and through their nurturing of extra-institutional spiritualities in their children, a newly emerging spirituality is revealed: one that is reshaping what it means to be religious in America today for the unaffiliated and affiliated alike.Less
The growth of the so-called Nones—people unaffiliated with religious institutions—has captivated religious and political leaders concerned with the implications of a “decline of religion” in the United States. But most Nones are not non-believers, most were raised in religious households, and many have robust spiritual lives that intertwine with the lives of the religiously affiliated. Choosing Our Religion explores the spiritual lives of Nones based on more than 100 intensive interviews across the United States and a survey of more than 1,000 religiously affiliated and unaffiliated Americans. Exploring the spiritual practices of Atheists, Agnostics, the Spiritual-But-Not-Religious, Humanists, “just spiritual” Nones, and those who describe their spiritual identities as “nothing in particular,” the book moves beyond the demographic data to bring to life what is now the fastest growing religious demographic in the country. As Nones tell their stories of engaging the spiritual in everyday life through relationships with family, friends, and nature; through reimagined practices of prayer; through the mentors, teachers, and other resources that inform and inspire their spiritualities; through their ethical outlooks and moral values; and through their nurturing of extra-institutional spiritualities in their children, a newly emerging spirituality is revealed: one that is reshaping what it means to be religious in America today for the unaffiliated and affiliated alike.
Russell M. Jeung, Seanan S. Fong, and Helen Jin Kim
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190875923
- eISBN:
- 9780190875954
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190875923.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Chapter 1 introduces two key concepts, familism and liyi, and concludes with methodology and chapter overviews. While nonreligious Chinese Americans are heterogeneous in their worldviews, they are ...
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Chapter 1 introduces two key concepts, familism and liyi, and concludes with methodology and chapter overviews. While nonreligious Chinese Americans are heterogeneous in their worldviews, they are bound together by their familism, a transpacific lived tradition that prioritizes interdependence and right relationships through the meaningful rituals of being family. Moreover Chinese Americans tend to be heterodox and nonsystematic in their beliefs and practices, affirming the existence of spiritual beings and keeping home shrines, in spite of their nonreligious affiliations. American sociological accounts of “religious nones,” however, emphasize categories of belief and belonging that obscure Chinese Americans’ rituals, values, and practices. Thus this chapter discusses appropriating liyi as an indigenous Chinese framework in parallel with the Western category of religion. Liyi is a compound composed of two uniquely Chinese concepts: li (禮), which means “ritual propriety,” and yi (義), which means “righteousness.”Less
Chapter 1 introduces two key concepts, familism and liyi, and concludes with methodology and chapter overviews. While nonreligious Chinese Americans are heterogeneous in their worldviews, they are bound together by their familism, a transpacific lived tradition that prioritizes interdependence and right relationships through the meaningful rituals of being family. Moreover Chinese Americans tend to be heterodox and nonsystematic in their beliefs and practices, affirming the existence of spiritual beings and keeping home shrines, in spite of their nonreligious affiliations. American sociological accounts of “religious nones,” however, emphasize categories of belief and belonging that obscure Chinese Americans’ rituals, values, and practices. Thus this chapter discusses appropriating liyi as an indigenous Chinese framework in parallel with the Western category of religion. Liyi is a compound composed of two uniquely Chinese concepts: li (禮), which means “ritual propriety,” and yi (義), which means “righteousness.”
Russell M. Jeung, Seanan S. Fong, and Helen Jin Kim
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190875923
- eISBN:
- 9780190875954
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190875923.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The conclusion provides a summary of the book chapters, including the genealogy, transmission, translation, and yi and li of Chinese American familism. The conclusion discusses the theoretical ...
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The conclusion provides a summary of the book chapters, including the genealogy, transmission, translation, and yi and li of Chinese American familism. The conclusion discusses the theoretical implications of employing a liyi framework to understand Chinese Americans and Asian Americans in relation to religious, ethnic, gendered, and sexual identities, as well as mental health and political organizing. The authors explore the implications for employing the theory of liyi in current debates about the category of religion as well as the study of religious “nones,” especially among American millennials. Future directions are discussed.Less
The conclusion provides a summary of the book chapters, including the genealogy, transmission, translation, and yi and li of Chinese American familism. The conclusion discusses the theoretical implications of employing a liyi framework to understand Chinese Americans and Asian Americans in relation to religious, ethnic, gendered, and sexual identities, as well as mental health and political organizing. The authors explore the implications for employing the theory of liyi in current debates about the category of religion as well as the study of religious “nones,” especially among American millennials. Future directions are discussed.
Stephen Bullivant
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780198837947
- eISBN:
- 9780191874598
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198837947.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
In January 2002, the Boston Globe’s ‘Spotlight’ team began what would become a series of over 600 reports into sexual abuse and cover-up within the Catholic Church. The cumulative effect of ongoing ...
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In January 2002, the Boston Globe’s ‘Spotlight’ team began what would become a series of over 600 reports into sexual abuse and cover-up within the Catholic Church. The cumulative effect of ongoing revelations—reignited in 2018—on Catholic practice and retention is discussed here in light of empirical data and the theoretical idea of Credibility Undermining Displays (or CRUDs). Also covered in this chapter are issues relating to intergenerational transmission, the rise of the internet and social media, the rise of the ‘nones’, the phenomenon of ‘liminal nones’, and the chasm between traditional Christian moral teachings and contemporary social mores (especially in relation to LGBT issues).Less
In January 2002, the Boston Globe’s ‘Spotlight’ team began what would become a series of over 600 reports into sexual abuse and cover-up within the Catholic Church. The cumulative effect of ongoing revelations—reignited in 2018—on Catholic practice and retention is discussed here in light of empirical data and the theoretical idea of Credibility Undermining Displays (or CRUDs). Also covered in this chapter are issues relating to intergenerational transmission, the rise of the internet and social media, the rise of the ‘nones’, the phenomenon of ‘liminal nones’, and the chasm between traditional Christian moral teachings and contemporary social mores (especially in relation to LGBT issues).
Paul Horwitz and Nelson Tebbe
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190262525
- eISBN:
- 9780190262563
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190262525.003.0012
- Subject:
- Law, Company and Commercial Law, Constitutional and Administrative Law
Group religious freedom claims are growing in number and prominence, despite demographic shifts away from individual affiliation with religious groups. This chapter explores this apparent tension, ...
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Group religious freedom claims are growing in number and prominence, despite demographic shifts away from individual affiliation with religious groups. This chapter explores this apparent tension, focusing on why group claims have come to the fore now. The authors offer a multivalent explanation rooted in a single phenomenon: the continuing “culture wars” between religious conservatives and social progressives. Progressives have pressed claims for a broad egalitarian regulatory state and criticized religious accommodations. Religious conservatives, in turn, have intensified in their commitment to the value of religious group autonomy and drawn on group-oriented elements in social thought and legal doctrine to press such claims with the substantial resources at their command. Ultimately, both moves are underwritten by the cultural and political polarization of contemporary American society. The authors’ thesis has important implications for the law and policy of church-state relations.Less
Group religious freedom claims are growing in number and prominence, despite demographic shifts away from individual affiliation with religious groups. This chapter explores this apparent tension, focusing on why group claims have come to the fore now. The authors offer a multivalent explanation rooted in a single phenomenon: the continuing “culture wars” between religious conservatives and social progressives. Progressives have pressed claims for a broad egalitarian regulatory state and criticized religious accommodations. Religious conservatives, in turn, have intensified in their commitment to the value of religious group autonomy and drawn on group-oriented elements in social thought and legal doctrine to press such claims with the substantial resources at their command. Ultimately, both moves are underwritten by the cultural and political polarization of contemporary American society. The authors’ thesis has important implications for the law and policy of church-state relations.
Elizabeth Drescher
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- April 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780199341221
- eISBN:
- 9780190263331
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199341221.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The spiritual lives of American Nones follow a path of religious creativity and invention common to not only Nones but also “Somes,” as one might call the religiously affiliated. The author’s journey ...
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The spiritual lives of American Nones follow a path of religious creativity and invention common to not only Nones but also “Somes,” as one might call the religiously affiliated. The author’s journey across historical and contemporary American spiritual landscapes begins in the introduction with a labyrinth walk with Dorit Brauer, a Spiritual None whose diverse, eclectic, self-authorized spiritualities sparked an early interest in the topic. Setting the stage for pilgrimages with Nones across the United States requires moving well beyond recent demographic data on the religiously unaffiliated and into their everyday experience of the spiritual. Here, the usual measures—belief in God, worship attendance, regular prayer—are increasingly less meaningful indicators of the extent or depth of American religiosity or spirituality.Less
The spiritual lives of American Nones follow a path of religious creativity and invention common to not only Nones but also “Somes,” as one might call the religiously affiliated. The author’s journey across historical and contemporary American spiritual landscapes begins in the introduction with a labyrinth walk with Dorit Brauer, a Spiritual None whose diverse, eclectic, self-authorized spiritualities sparked an early interest in the topic. Setting the stage for pilgrimages with Nones across the United States requires moving well beyond recent demographic data on the religiously unaffiliated and into their everyday experience of the spiritual. Here, the usual measures—belief in God, worship attendance, regular prayer—are increasingly less meaningful indicators of the extent or depth of American religiosity or spirituality.
Elizabeth Drescher
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- April 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780199341221
- eISBN:
- 9780190263331
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199341221.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Who are Nones in demographic terms and as they identify themselves? What is meant when one talks about “religious” or “spiritual identity,” and how is this related to affiliation or unaffiliation? ...
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Who are Nones in demographic terms and as they identify themselves? What is meant when one talks about “religious” or “spiritual identity,” and how is this related to affiliation or unaffiliation? What is the difference between “religion” and “spirituality”? And how is “the spiritual life” related to other aspects of everyday life in general? This chapter explores these questions, taking the wealth of demographic data that has appeared in the past decade as a starting point. However, it moves quickly beyond survey data to consider more complex concepts of identity, affiliation, spirituality, and religion in light of the way Nones themselves tell the story of their spiritual lives. Narrative identity and spiritual coherence become central features in understanding Nones beyond the demographic numbers.Less
Who are Nones in demographic terms and as they identify themselves? What is meant when one talks about “religious” or “spiritual identity,” and how is this related to affiliation or unaffiliation? What is the difference between “religion” and “spirituality”? And how is “the spiritual life” related to other aspects of everyday life in general? This chapter explores these questions, taking the wealth of demographic data that has appeared in the past decade as a starting point. However, it moves quickly beyond survey data to consider more complex concepts of identity, affiliation, spirituality, and religion in light of the way Nones themselves tell the story of their spiritual lives. Narrative identity and spiritual coherence become central features in understanding Nones beyond the demographic numbers.
Elizabeth Drescher
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- April 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780199341221
- eISBN:
- 9780190263331
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199341221.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Nones do not come to see themselves as such out of nowhere. However they come to understand themselves as Nones, the unaffiliated have only the resources within their own backgrounds and what they ...
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Nones do not come to see themselves as such out of nowhere. However they come to understand themselves as Nones, the unaffiliated have only the resources within their own backgrounds and what they know of the wider culture from which to construct unaffiliated identities. For the most part, the Nones interviewed did not describe the process of becoming unaffiliated in terms of “conversion.” Nones instead consistently saw themselves as active creators in the story of their own spiritual lives. Their narratives were populated with the language of “discovery,” “freedom,” “escape,” “liberation,” “maturation,” “journeying,” “enlightenment,” and “self-realization,” or “growth” in “awareness,” “knowledge,” “self-understanding,” or “insight.” And, at least among Nones from Christian backgrounds, the emotions associated with the shift from affiliated to unaffiliated map to the religious tradition in which a person was raised.Less
Nones do not come to see themselves as such out of nowhere. However they come to understand themselves as Nones, the unaffiliated have only the resources within their own backgrounds and what they know of the wider culture from which to construct unaffiliated identities. For the most part, the Nones interviewed did not describe the process of becoming unaffiliated in terms of “conversion.” Nones instead consistently saw themselves as active creators in the story of their own spiritual lives. Their narratives were populated with the language of “discovery,” “freedom,” “escape,” “liberation,” “maturation,” “journeying,” “enlightenment,” and “self-realization,” or “growth” in “awareness,” “knowledge,” “self-understanding,” or “insight.” And, at least among Nones from Christian backgrounds, the emotions associated with the shift from affiliated to unaffiliated map to the religious tradition in which a person was raised.
