Choosing Our Religion: The Spiritual Lives of America's Nones, (Hardcover)

The 'Nones'-the religiously unaffiliated-popped into public consciousness a decade ago, and have attracted attention ever since. Yet they remain largely unknown and misunderstood, especially when viewed as indifferent to, if not hostile toward, religion. Drescher's research focuses not on who they aren't but on who they are-and she finds them a remarkably diverse and fluid segment of our society, some, of course, negative toward organized religion, but mosttrying to find meaning in life experience... A good and informative read." --Wade Clark Roof, J.F. Rowny Professor of Religion and Society Emeritus, University of California at Santa Barbara"As the rate of religious disaffiliation nears 25% of the American population, the importance of understanding the 'Nones'-from roving seekers to settled nonbelievers-has risen correspondingly. Drescher offers a splendidly variegated account of the religious practices and engagements that continue to flourish among the unaffiliated. The spiritual voices of the 'Nones' emerge with unusual clarity and resonance in these pages." --Leigh E. Schmidt, author ofRestless Souls: The Making of American Spirituality"This book is a...significant contribution. Ranging widely across a variety of literatures (anthropology, cultural studies, sociology, media studies, congregational studies, theology and so on) Drescher has put together a stunning reframing of the experiences of people who claim no religious affiliation...Drescher's exploration of the ways in which prayer is experienced, or her discussion of how an ethics of care emerges among Nones, will both be sections Iwill draw upon in my classes. I'm also certain that her 'four Fs of contemporary American spirituality - Family, Fido, Friends and Food' will prove to be an enduring meme within my classes. I highlyrecommend this book." --Mary Hess, Professor of Educational Leadership, Luther Seminary