Living the Secular Life: New Answers to Old Questions, by Phil Zuckerman
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Living the Secular Life: New Answers to Old Questions, by Phil Zuckerman
Best Ebook Online Living the Secular Life: New Answers to Old Questions, by Phil Zuckerman
“A humane and sensible guide to and for the many kinds of Americans leading secular lives in what remains one of the most religious nations in the developed world.” —The New York Times Book Review Over the last twenty-five years, “no religion” has become the fastest-growing religious preference in the United States. Around the world, hundreds of millions of people have turned away from the traditional faiths of the past and embraced a moral yet nonreligious—or secular—life, generating societies vastly less religious than at any other time in human history. Revealing the inspiring beliefs that empower secular culture—alongside real stories of nonreligious men and women based on extensive in-depth interviews from across the country—Living the Secular Life will be indispensable for millions of secular Americans.Drawing on innovative sociological research, Living the Secular Life illuminates this demographic shift with the moral convictions that govern secular individuals, offering crucial information for the religious and nonreligious alike. Living the Secular Life reveals that, despite opinions to the contrary, nonreligious Americans possess a unique moral code that allows them to effectively navigate the complexities of modern life. Spiritual self-reliance, clear-eyed pragmatism, and an abiding faith in the Golden Rule to adjudicate moral decisions: these common principles are shared across secular society. Living the Secular Life demonstrates these principles in action and points to their usage throughout daily life.Phil Zuckerman is a sociology professor at Pitzer College, where he studied the lives of the nonreligious for years before founding a Department of Secular Studies, the first academic program in the nation dedicated to exclusively studying secular culture and the sociological consequences of America’s fastest-growing “faith.” Zuckerman discovered that despite the entrenched negative beliefs about nonreligious people, American secular culture is grounded in deep morality and proactive citizenship—indeed, some of the very best that the country has to offer.Living the Secular Life journeys through some of the most essential components of human existence—child rearing and morality, death and ritual, community and beauty—and offers secular readers inspiration for leading their own lives. Zuckerman shares eye-opening research that reveals the enduring moral strength of children raised without religion, as well as the hardships experienced by secular mothers in the rural South, where church attendance defines the public space. Despite the real sorrows of mortality, Zuckerman conveys the deep psychological health of secular individuals in their attitudes toward illness, death, and dying. Tracking the efforts of nonreligious groups to construct their own communities, Zuckerman shows how Americans are building institutions and cultivating relationships without religious influence. Most of all, Living the Secular Life infuses the sociological data and groundbreaking research with the moral convictions that govern secular individuals and demonstrates how readers can integrate these beliefs into their own lives.A manifesto for a booming social movement—and a revelatory survey of this overlooked community—Living the Secular Life offers essential and long-awaited information for anyone building a life based on his or her own principles.
Living the Secular Life: New Answers to Old Questions, by Phil Zuckerman - Amazon Sales Rank: #53793 in Books
- Published on: 2015-10-27
- Released on: 2015-10-27
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.40" h x .80" w x 5.50" l, 1.00 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 288 pages
Living the Secular Life: New Answers to Old Questions, by Phil Zuckerman Review A Best Book of 2014, Publishers Weekly:"Zuckerman is a sociologist who in this groundbreaking book writes clearly, offers unobtrusive statistical support, and provides a persuasive and comprehensive look at the growing contemporary phenomenon of people who choose to live without religion, but with ethics and meaning in their lives."Library Journal:“The author brilliantly weaves stories and reflections together with empirical sociological research to create a rich portrait of secular America... Highly recommended for all readers, both religious and nonreligious, seeking a more accurate understanding of this ever-growing segment of the American population.”Publishers Weekly:"In this fascinating work, Zuckerman (Faith No More: Why People Reject Religion), professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College, explores the moral and ethical foundations of secularism, addressing the question of whether you can live a good life without God or religion. Anecdotal evidence abounds; interviews with former religious adherents who have moved into secularism, both within and outside their religious communities, offer a compelling argument for the non-necessity of God in the pursuit of a moral life. "Booklist:"With recent polls reporting 30 percent of Americans are nonreligious, while other studies find atheists the least-trusted people in the country, isn’t it high time to blow away the myths about the nonreligious? Answering affirmatively, the sociologist founder of the first secular-studies program at Pitzer College presents real secular people as peaceable, productive, and living happily….He also shows that secularism isn’t bipolar—believer or nonbeliever—but includes many with some supernatural beliefs but who aren’t religiously observant. And there’s not a proselytizer or zealot among this group—the point being that secular people are not all—indeed, hardly ever—Christopher Hitchens or Madalyn Murray O’Hair. May one more prejudice fall."Greg M. Epstein, humanist chaplain at Harvard University; author Good Without God“Phil Zuckerman is without a doubt the leading American sociologist of secularism. And with America secularizing more rapidly and profoundly now than in any previous era in our history, Zuckerman’s work has become essential reading for everyday people who want to understand religion—and the nonreligious—in this country. Living the Secular Life represents the next big chapter in a centuries-old story, so if you’ve ever taken an interest in Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, et al., you certainly need to pick this book up and find out where things are headed.”Bart Campolo, author Things We Wish We Had Said“Since coming out as a post-Christian minister, I’ve discovered all kinds of people sincerely pursuing goodness without the nurture, encouragement, and mutual support most church folks take for granted. These folks are hungry for fellowship and pastoral care, but even hungrier for a thoughtful, positive way to communicate their values and commitments to friends and family members instinctively distrustful of anyone who doesn’t believe in God. For them—and for me—Phil Zuckerman is a genuine hero, and Living the Secular Life is a wonderful gift. Here at last is a clear, concise, and compassionate guided tour of the world’s fastest-growing way of life. Zuckerman isn’t trying to prove everyone else wrong. On the contrary, he’s helping the secular community better understand and comport itself, and helping the rest of humanity understand that we’re on their side too.”Peter Boghossian, professor of philosophy, Portland State University; author of A Manual for Creating Atheists“For secular people seeking deeper insight into their own worldview, or religious people seeking to better understand the rise of irreligion in society today, this book is indispensable. An engaging, powerful read.”
About the Author Phil Zuckerman is a professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. He is the author most recently of Faith No More and Society without God, and he blogs for Psychology Today and the Huffington Post.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Introduction
And there it was again: the whole notion of “nothing.” It came at me twice in the same week, and from two different people.
The first time it came up was with Jill. We were standing and talking on the curb outside the studio where her son and my son both take cello lessons. Jill is in her early forties, from San Francisco, and she recently sold her modern furniture store in order to be at home more with her kids. We often chitchat when cello lessons are over and our sons are busy playing in the nearby bushes.
The other day as we were talking, religion came up. That was when Jill expressed what I’ve heard so many times before: “I just don’t want my kids to be ‘nothing.’”
Jill is one of tens of millions of Americans who are nonreligious. Her mom was Buddhist and her dad was Catholic, and she was raised with a fair amount of both traditions. But by the time she got to college, she knew that she didn’t believe in God. Sure, maybe there’s something more out there—who can say? But religion just wasn’t her thing. Her husband felt the same way. And all was fine for several years.
But lately, with her kids being three and six, things have somehow started to feel different. Jill is a little worried. She told me that she was considering sending her kids to some church, perhaps the local Catholic church. But I could tell that she was conflicted. When I asked her why she was contemplating sending her kids to church if she didn’t feel 100 percent about it, she said, “I want them to get some morals. I think that’s important.”
“But your children can develop a healthy, durable morality without religion,” I replied.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. But still . . .”
Being a secular parent myself, and having studied the hills and dales of secular culture for some time now, I know what gnaws at Jill. I’m quite familiar with the angst that many such secular Americans experience: the feeling that maybe one is making a mistake by raising one’s kids without religion. Even though Jill is living a meaningful, thoughtful, and ethical life without religious faith or affiliation, she nonetheless feels that if she doesn’t impart some sort of religious identity to her kids—if they lack religious involvement—then they will be . . . nothing.
Oh, and immoral to boot.
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49 of 50 people found the following review helpful. A Timely Contribution to an Important Discussion By James Strock One of the great dividing lines in American life today is between believers and non-believers. This division is seen in various ways in our politics, and in popular culture.Perhaps inevitably given our either-or, binary take on so many issues, many believers and non-believers appear to stereotype and stigmatize those on the other side. In politics, for now, this is often at the expense of non-believers. In popular culture, for now, this is increasingly at the expense of believers, especially Christians of various denominations.Sociologist Phil Zuckerman sets out to correct the record. In particular he would challenge the notion that those who identify as non-believers inevitably reject the moral teachings shared by various religions. His anecdotes are informative, easy to follow, and engaging.Zuckerman also challenges the popular notion, propagated by politicians, that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. That topic is so large and controversial that his discussion is unlikely to carry the day. Nonetheless, he presents a concise case for the proposition.With the number of non-believers rising—and with anti-religious sentiments being heard in various quarters—everyone can benefit from clear thinking about the link between religion and morality.Zuckerman is eloquent, emphatic, and effective in making the case that those who identify as religious, as well as those who identify as non-believers, can lead moral lives. They merit respect as well as tolerance.‘Living the Secular Life’ is a timely contribution that will, hopefully, spark discussion and soul-searching on all sides.
33 of 35 people found the following review helpful. Explores Facets of the Growing Secular Community, While Debunking Misconceptions about Non-Believers By Gadget Fan This readable sociological exploration of secular life in the US begins with the underpinnings and expressions of morality among atheists, contrasted with believers. He shows how secular people behave quite morally, without religion, and provides data about how the least religious countries have fairly moral societies, while countries with the most religiousity nevertheless suffer many evils.His approach is to combine interviews with various non-believers, with sociological data and numbers from research studies. The other facets he explores range from issues of raising kids and creating sense of communities not based on religion, dealing with hard times and the inevitability of death, and having a sense of awe without a deity. He also discusses the growing numbers of people who report no religion as well as those who never attend any religious services. In his conclusion, he makes the case for separation of church and state, quoting from the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli "The government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion" (unanimously ratified by the US Senate), as well as many others over history into modern times, including Reagan. Throughout the book, he is not intolerant or antagonistic towards religion or those who want it in their lives, but he does provide statistics and anecdotes about how many religious people view non-believers badly. To counter this poor societal opinion of the secular community, he concludes that non-religious people shouldn't hide, so that others can see that secular people are trustworthy and moral.I was interested in this book because we have friends and family who insist that we are missing something without religion, yet some of them are the most dishonest and uncharitable people I know. One devout friend needed some money, and was astonished when we offered it to him after all of his religious friends wouldn't help him. Another religious couple lied to school officials to get their kids into a religious school so that they would "learn about right and wrong", even though somehow the religious training didn't help the parents. This book does a service to show how being non-religious does not preclude a moral compass, just as being religious does not preclude behaving badly.
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful. A good place to start By Chris Swanson This book is preaching to the choir, as it were. I'm an atheist and I've already long-since reconciled any thoughts I have about religion and morality with my own personal set of ethics. I also don't have children to raise.This book is not for me. I got my post-atheist-coming-out morality from the likes of Hitchens.But if you're someone who is recently coming to being an atheist, or if you're someone who has children to raise and you want some good advice on how to raise them sans God, then this is a good place to start. There is quite a bit of good info, and more than a few harrowing stories (particularly about one woman atheist trying to raise her children in Mississippi). The book also shares some of the author's life experiences with things like how to behave when everyone around the table you're sitting at is praying (I just ignore it politely).So...not a bad book. Not one I need, but one I feel I can recommend.
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