The rising American population known as “nones” for its members’ lack of religious affiliation is changing national society, politics and culture.
According to Pew Research Center, “The ‘nones,’ a category that includes people who self-identify as atheists or agnostics, as well as those who say their religion is ‘nothing in particular,’ now make up 23 percent of U.S. adults, up from 16 percent in 2007.”
Many nones believe in God, and even visit places of worship, but they do not identify with a specific faith or belong to a spiritual community.
Corinna Nicolaou is a none, and in her layered narrative “A None’s Story: Searching for Meaning Inside Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam,” she describes what it is like for her and thousands of others to live without religion — or to be spiritual without committing to a specific faith.
It’s a particularly hot topic in today’s national climate of faith-based reactions and controversial policies based on religious tenants.
In the book, Nicolaou tours America’s major traditional religions to see what, if anything, one might lack without God. She moves through Christianity’s denominations, learning their tenets and worshiping alongside their followers. She travels to Los Angeles to immerse herself in Judaism, Berkeley to educate herself about Buddhism and to Dallas and Washington, D.C., to familiarize herself with Islam.
She explores what light they can shed on the fears and failings of her own past, and ultimately found that these encounters prove the significant role religion still plays in modern life.
They also, she argues, exemplify the vibrant relationship between religion and American culture and the enduring value it provides to immigrants and outsiders.
Though she remains a devout none, Nicolaou’s experiences reveal points of contact between the religious and the unaffiliated, suggesting that nones may be radically revising the practice of faith in contemporary times.
Nicolaou will visit Eagle Harbor Book Company to discuss her adventure and the book at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19.
Already garnering praise, the book was hailed by the likes of Eric Weiner, the New York Times best-
selling author of “Geography of Genius.”
“Nicolaou puts flesh and blood on one of the most important trends in religious America: the rise of the ‘nones,’ people who claim no religious affiliation yet aren’t atheists either,” he said.
“From mosque to church to synagogue to Zen temple, she approaches her quest with a keen eye and a big heart — as well as a welcome dash of humor. ‘A None’s Story’ is a book everyone will enjoy.”
