One of the most important developments in American religion over the past several decades has been the rise of the "Nones"—people who tell pollsters they have no religious affiliation. According to the Pew Research Center, about 29% of American adults now fall into this category, compared with 16% in 2007. Among younger Americans, the figure is even higher. Many observers see these numbers as evidence of the continuing secularization of American society.
A provocative new book challenges this conventional wisdom. In The Death of Religion? Nones, Others, and the Flourishing of Faith, sociologist Byron Johnson and historian Thomas Kidd argue that surveys greatly exaggerate the decline of religion in the US. I interviewed Kidd about the book in the most recent Legal Spirits podcast.
The book maintains that conventional surveys, including those conducted by Pew, give a misleading picture of American religious life. People who identify as religiously unaffiliated are not necessarily unbelievers. Some Nones retain religious commitments even though they have no formal connection to a denomination or congregation. Some Americans belong to religious communities that surveys fail to capture adequately, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities. Consequently, surveys may systematically underestimate the vitality of religion in the US.
