Church of one
When, after several years of studying America’s religious demographics, Robert Putnam says he’s become obsessed with the “rise of the nones,” it’s easy to misinterpret him. But he’s not talking about an order of Catholic sisters. The renowned political scientist is instead referring to the astonishing growth in the number of Americans, believers and nonbelievers alike, who identify with no particular religion. While that figure used to remain constant at 5 to 7 percent of the population, it has risen sharply since 1990. Now, 17 percent of citizens claim no religion, and nearly three in 10 young people are “nones.” Americans are “beginning their lives at a much lower level of religiosity than any previous generation of Americans ever has,” Putnam told a crowd at Harvard Divinity School (HDS) on Tuesday evening (Feb. 15). Although the vast majority of Americans still believe in a higher power, Putnam argued, many are increasingly opting out...