Elizabeth Drescher

To the dismay of religious leaders, study after study has shown a steady decline in affiliation and identification with traditional religions in America. By 2014, more than twenty percent of adults identified as unaffiliated--up more than seven percent just since 2007. Even more startling, more than thirty percent of those under the age of thirty now identify as "Nones"--answering "none" when queried about their religious affiliation. Is America losing its religion? Or, as more and more Americans choose different spiritual paths, are they changing what it means to be religious in the United States today? In Choosing Our Religion, Elizabeth Drescher explores the diverse, complex spiritual lives of Nones across generations and across categories of self-identification as "Spiritual-But-Not-Religious," "Atheist," "Agnostic," "Humanist," "just Spiritual," and more. Drawing on more than one hundred interviews conducted across the United States, Drescher opens a window into the lives of a broad cross-section of Nones, diverse with respect to age, gender, race, sexual orientation, and prior religious background. She allows Nones to speak eloquently for themselves, illuminating the processes by which they became None, the sources of information and inspiration that enrich their spiritual lives, the practices they find spiritually meaningful, how prayer functions in spiritual lives not centered on doctrinal belief, how morals and values are shaped outside of institutional religions, and how Nones approach the spiritual development of their own children. These compelling stories are deeply revealing about how religion is changing in America--both for Nones and for the religiously affiliated family, friends, and neighbors with whom their lives remain intertwined.

The Spiritual Lives of America's Nones

Choosing Our Religion

Keith Anderson

• A “reboot” of a popular and practical how-to guide for leaders bridging digital social media and parish ministry Six years ago, the original Click2Save’s breakthrough introduction to adopting social media for ministry energized outreach and was embraced across denominations by seminaries and churches, as well as by both graduate and undergraduate religious studies and theology programs. But six years is a long time in the digital world, so now it’s time for a reboot! Revised and updated, Click2Save REBOOT covers the increasing sophistication and importance of mobile computing and leads readers through the changes and additions to social media platforms that are currently shaping how we communicate with, connect with—and can offer Christ-centered care to—one another: Facebook and Twitter, at the center of the first edition, have changed dramatically. Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, etc. have made images and video much more central. Innovative, often sophisticated voices are overtaking the blog form. Podcasting has become elegant and accessible to the masses through SoundCloud and similar hosting platforms, while Pokémon Go popularized augmented reality—even sometimes leading players into churchyards in their hunt. From their research and personal experience, the authors offer guidance on coping with—and getting the most out of—this evolving revolution.

The Digital Ministry Bible

Click 2 Save REBOOT

To the dismay of religious leaders, study after study has shown a steady decline in affiliation and identification with traditional religions in America. By 2014, more than twenty percent of adults identified as unaffiliated--up more than seven percent just since 2007. Even more startling, more than thirty percent of those under the age of thirty now identify as "Nones"--answering "none" when queried about their religious affiliation. Is America losing its religion? Or, as more and more Americans choose different spiritual paths, are they changing what it means to be religious in the United States today? In Choosing Our Religion, Elizabeth Drescher explores the diverse, complex spiritual lives of Nones across generations and across categories of self-identification such as "Spiritual-But-Not-Religious," "Atheist," "Agnostic," "Humanist," "just Spiritual," and more. Drawing on more than one hundred interviews conducted across the United States, Drescher opens a window into the lives of a broad cross-section of Nones, diverse with respect to age, gender, race, sexual orientation, and prior religious background. She allows Nones to speak eloquently for themselves, illuminating the processes by which they became None, the sources of information and inspiration that enrich their spiritual lives, the practices they find spiritually meaningful, how prayer functions in spiritual lives not centered on doctrinal belief, how morals and values are shaped outside of institutional religions, and how Nones approach the spiritual development of their own children. These compelling stories are deeply revealing about how religion is changing in America--both for Nones and for the religiously affiliated family, friends, and neighbors with whom their lives remain intertwined.

A timely resource dealing with communication, leadership and community formation in the age of digital social media.

Elizabeth Drescher

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