The ^ANonreligious: Understanding Secular People and Societies

by Phil Zuckerman, Luke W. Galen, Frank L. Pasquale

Overview

The number of nonreligious people has increased dramatically over the past several decades, yet scholarship on the nonreligious is severely lacking. In response to this critical gap in knowledge, The Nonreligious provides a comprehensive summation and analysis of existing social scientific research on secular people and societies. The authors present a thorough overview of existing knowledge while also drawing upon ongoing research and suggesting ways to improve our understanding of this growing population. Offering a research- and data-based examination of the nonreligious, this book will be an invaluable source of information and a foundation for further scholarship. Written in clear, accessible language that will appeal to students and the increasingly interested general reader, The Nonreligious provides an unbiased and thorough account of relevant existing scholarship within the social sciences that bears on lived experiences of the nonreligious.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199393831
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Phil Zuckerman is Professor of Sociology and Secular Studies at Pitzer College. Luke W. Galen is Professor of Psychology at Grand Valley State University. Frank L. Pasquale is a cultural anthropologist whose research focuses on secularity and the role of the religious-secular construct in the world.

Table of Contents

Introduction Chapter 1. The study of Secularity and the Non-religious Chapter 2. Secularity Around the World Chapter 3: Secularity through Time: The Question of Secularization Chapter 4: Secularity and Society Chapter 5: How and Why People Become Secular Chapter 6. Personality, Cognition, and Family Behavior Chapter 7. Secularity and Well-Being Chapter 8 . Are Secular People Moral and Ethical? Chapter 9. Social and Political Attitudes and Values Chapter 10. Secular Social and Institutional Behavior Conclusion References Index

Editorial Reviews

"Among the successes of The Nonreligious is that the authors employ a highly readable style while effectively synthesizing a wide range of research in anthropology, psychology, religious studies, and sociology as well as sharing stories of people who see themselves as variously nonreligious Overall, the authors have made an important contribution to our understanding of nonreligion that will be of value to those beginning an exploration of secular culture and society and individual practice."—Elizabeth Drescher, Horizons: The Journal of the College Theology Society

"The uncluttered and highly readable prose combined with rigorous engagement of existing literatures makes it accessible and useful for educated lay readers, undergraduates, graduate students, and academics. The Nonreligious is destined to become the go-to primer and starting point for those interested in the empirical study of secularities."—Sociology of Religion

"This carefully researched, comprehensive volume is exemplary and timely and makes a major contribution to the fields of secularism and religion . Highly recommended."-CHOICE

"Three leading researchers have collaborated on a unique project of surveying the research on secular people, who now make up a significant segment of humanity. They have assembled not only a fascinating collection of findings, but also first-rate discussions of theoretical issues. Their writing is lucid and jargon-free, and their perspective is global. The book is just as relevant to those who live in India, Europe, or Australia as it is to Americans." —Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi, Professor of Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel

"Zuckerman, Galen and Pasquale have produced the go-to, social scientific textbook for the burgeoning field of secular studies. It provides excellent comprehensive coverage of all the latest research and academic debates in the sociology, psychology, and anthropology of the secular and its cognates. The focus on both the individual and societal aspects of secularity and secularism and their attention to the international and cross-cultural perspective makes the book a very valuable contribution to the state of the art." —Barry Kosmin, Research Professor of Public Policy & Law, Trinity College

From the Publisher