unaffiliated
In the realm of the nones: Reflections of a college chaplain
I thought I'd get bored by the problems of the young. But I've grown to cherish interactions with students—especially the religiously unaffiliated.
Fibbing about church
A new study finds that Americans say they attend religious services more than they actually do. Is this bad news for churches?
Is this church attendance study all bad news?
I know a guy, a committed church member, who missed his own grandchild's baptism. It was far away, on a Sunday that was a busy one for his own church. So he felt compelled to skip the trip and go to church.
This impressed me. It's hard to imagine such a thing at the church where I work.
Belief without Borders, by Linda A. Mercadante
Linda A. Mercadante’s study counters those who suggest that the rise of the religiously unaffiliated is tantamount to secularization.
reviewed by Timothy Mark Renick
Nones I have known
We hear a lot about the "nones" these days: Americans who claim no connection to any particular faith. We'll hear a lot more too, as recent studies document this ever-expanding slice of the American demographic pie. We hear less, however, about the nones as individuals. But like any pastor, I’ve known more than a few in my time. At 20 percent of society, they are literally everybody's friends and neighbors.