The Rise of Religious “Nones” Indicates the End of Religion As We Know It

I have seen the future of religion in America, and its name is “none.” Yet another survey just recently published and publicized is emphasizing what is now an undeniable trend on the American religious landscape: increasing, if not historic, numbers of Americans are claiming no religious affiliation when asked to state their religious identity, and more and more are embracing “spirituality” as an alternative religious brand that is not tradition-specific, but is more in line with the democratic spirit of individual tastes.

This surge of people not willing to associate with any faith tradition when asked by surveyors will certainly garner a great deal of attention: the faithful will cry the sky is falling, and the world is clearly coming to end with this movement away from traditional, authoritative religious institutions; political pundits will pounce on the figures indicating that a majority of these “nones” are on the liberal side of the political spectrum, and therefore are likely to exacerbate the cultural wars that have become so prominent since the rise of the Religious Right in the second half of the twentieth century; and the atheists will claim the upper hand in the ongoing battles with religious leaders who they believe have been deceiving and exploiting weak-minded sheep for far too long.

It is truly a fascinating time to be a scholar of American religion and see the dynamic, shape-shifting, and profoundly significant changes taking place in the 21st century. Is this a cultural moment signaling another “Great Awakening,” a period of serious social and spiritual transformation associated with outbursts of revivalism and evangelicalism in colonial New England, the early national period soon after the American Revolution, the middle of the nineteenth century in expanding and diversifying urban areas, and for some the 1960s cultural revolutions during the tumultuous Vietnam War era?

My own take on the current moment is that this is not an “awakening” — which is after all is associated with a revival of the Christian spirit and Americans returning to the church — but a great cultural metamorphosis. If things continue to go in this direction into the future, religion will never look the same as it once did.

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