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Examines why so many are leaving religion, and what that means for American society
One of the largest changes in American culture over the last fifty years has been the increase in people exiting religion. Goodbye Religion explores why there has been such an upswing among those who identify as nonreligious, and what the societal implications are of this move towards less religiosity.
Utilizing nationally representative data and more than a hundred in-depth interviews with people who leave their religion behind, Ryan T. Cragun and Jesse M. Smith examine the variety of social, psychological, and environmental conditions behind the exiting process, as well as what people do with the time they used to devote to religious observance. They show that for most people who leave, abandoning religion is not a crisis, and does not generally disrupt their health, charitable giving, or volunteering. Drawing on the data, Cragun and Smith argue that the fears among some that massive religious exit will result in a decline in family values or less civic engagement are unfounded, and that those who become nonreligious remain engaged in society and continue to strive to make the world a better place. At a time where more and more individuals are questioning the implications of our increasingly secular society, Goodbye Religion offers an engaging and fascinating analysis into what religious exiting—and secularization broadly—means for American society.
"Based on extensive new research and the culmination of decades of study, Goodbye Religion is a definitive statement from two of the leading figures in secular studies. An essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the transformation of religious landscapes, in the US and beyond."
— Lois Lee, author of Recognizing the Non-religious: Reimagining the Secular
"Cragun and Smith offer a rigorous and thoughtful account of why so many Americans have left their religious commitments behind. A must-read for any one who wants to understand thirty years of change in the American religious landscape, who the nonreligious are, the emergence of a modern, secular moral imaginary-- and what comes next."
— Penny Edgell, author of Religion and Family in a Changing Society
"Goodbye Religion is an intriguing and stimulating piece of research."
"Goodbye Religion offers useful descriptive data and helps bring attention to the phenomenon of religious exiting."
"Goodbye Religion gives a comprehensive overview of how Americans lose religion and the personal and social consequences… The book is excellent in describing the personal causes and consequences of leaving religion."
"Goodbye Religion, with its copious data, logical categories, and clear prose provides an excellent “state-of-the-field” overview that will be welcomed by secularization researchers across disciplines, their graduate students, and even the general public interested in these issues."
Ryan T. Cragun is Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa and coauthor of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society.
Jesse M. Smith (Author)
Jesse M. Smith is Associate Professor of Sociology at Western Michigan University and coeditor of Secularity and Nonreligion in North America.