A manifesto for a booming social movement-and a revelatory survey of this overlooked community-Living the Secular Lifeoffers essential and long-awaited information for anyone building a life based on his or her own principles.
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.
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.”
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