Nonverts

"The chapters on individual nonverts are the most engaging in the book. Bullivant has an eye for good human interest stories and a talent for interviewing people." -- Mark L. Movsesian, Law and Liberty "We have been hearing for a long time about the remarkable rise of the nones. Only more recently have scholars delved deeper into the life worlds of America's growing non-religious population. Bullivant provides an accessible guided tour of the growing number of ex-religious Americans that is easy reading and unburdened by heavy theory or complicated statistics. This is the book for those looking for a smooth on-ramp to understanding the big picture facts and issues involved in this major cultural change." -- Christian Smith, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology, University of Notre Dame "We cannot understand the explosive rise of religious "nones" without understanding the rise of "nonverts." With rigor and wit, Stephen Bullivant shows us nonverts matter because our past relationships profoundly shape our present and future lives, often in divergent ways. Religious nonverts commonly share quite different identities and experiences from "Cradle Nones." Just as nonverts who grew up evangelical or Catholic are unique compared to former Muslims or Mainline Protestants. Weaving together compelling personal stories and sweeping quantitative analysis, Bullivant shows us both the brilliant diversity and undeniable commonality of the formerly-religious." -- Samuel L. Perry, co-author of The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy "Nonverts brings America's stunning rise of secularization to life. Stephen Bullivant highlights the humanity of the growing secular population in AmericaDLwith equal parts brio, rigor, and humor. Many of the stories told within these pages will no doubt resonate with nonreligious readers. Religious readers will benefit from learning why so many others are deciding that religion is not for them. People who are unsure about their religious beliefs will find that their experience is more common than they might think. No matter their background, everyone who reads this book will gain a deeper understanding of how America's 'new secularists' are reshaping the cultural landscape." -- David Campbell, author of Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics "In Nonverts, Stephen Bullivant threads the difficult needle of being academically rigorous, while also being accessible to a general audience. The backbone of the book is a careful melding of the statistical evidence with very personal and engaging stories of how and why people have left religion behind. It should serve as a key text for anyone who is interested in understanding secularization and its many causes and consequences." -- Ryan Burge, author of The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They are Going "Nonverts will serve as an indispensable guide to this shifting landscape, as well as the future of American life." -- David True, Reading Religion "It is a very approachable book that digests a great deal of factual, statistical information and brings it to bear on the current secularizing trend in America. The result is that we have a clearer picture of the landscape." -- Laurie M. Johnson, The European Legacy "Bullivant writes with engaging humor, and despite a number of graphs and statistics, this book is quite accessible to the average pastor or educated layperson. Generous footnotes lead the reader to more technical studies if one wishes to delve further into the data behind the author's summaries." -- Richard O. Johnson, Lutheran Quarterly "Theories of secularism have for many years been presented with a profound counter case in the USA, which has remained stubbornly religious despite prediction of decline, and it remains the case that religion significantly influences politics. Stephen Bullivant's book Nonverts: The Making of ExChristian America is a key study tracing what might be the trend that finally disrupts this picture." -- Bob Bowie, Pastoral Review "Nonverts is a thoughtful book that should provoke readers to ponder the way churches and denominations encourage members to be faithful. Perhaps even more importantly, Bullivant's book will prod church officers and members alike to consider where the younger generations of Orthodox Presbyterians are landing in their own spiritual quests." -- Darryl G. Hart, The Classical Association of the Middle West and South "The book is simply a cracking read. At just over 200pages, it is a model of brevity, and as such, it is suitable for undergraduates and non academics. Bullivant has a gift for explaining complex sociological phenomena in ways that are not only easy to understand but genuinely entertaining. In fact, this may be the most humorous book about the sociology of religion ever published." -- Jana Riess, Religious Studies Review