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Spiritual but not Religious: Understanding Unchurched America, by Robert C. Fuller. Published by Oxford University Press. Book Review
A figure commonly cited in atheist circles is that around ten percent of the population in the United States are nonbelievers. The resulting assumption, understandably enough, seems to be that if ten percent are nonreligious, then the remaining ninety percent must be religious, right? Robert Fuller's recent book refutes that assumption, arguing that a great many people in America may not be rleigious, but that doesn't make them nonbelievers. Below is a transcript of an on-line interview he was kind enough to do for this site...
1. How did you first get interested in the subject of unchurched spirituality?
On a professional level, my interest in the subject of unchurched spirituality grew out of my study of the history of psychology in the United States. I am deeply interested in the sociology of knowledge, the social roots of ideas and theories. When tracing the roots of early American psychology I became fascinated by how many first generation psychologists were either the sons of Protestant ministers or themselves had been seminary students before shifting their interests to psychology. I began to discover that the pioneers of American social science had no so much repudiate as redirect their spiritual impulses.
On a personal level, I belong in this category, too. While most of my intellectual sympathies fall under the category of secular humanism, I am constitutionally prone to contemplate the mystery of the universe. I have a deep-seated awe for the miracle of creation, the mystery of the First Cause. My religiosity more or less stops at the sentiments of awe and mystery, however.
2. If you don't mind my asking, were you always of a secular humanist bent, or did
you come to it from another tradition?
Also, accusations of talk-show listeners notwithstanding, do you consider yourself an
atheist? I was very struck (in a good way) by your obvious sympathy for active seekers
in the book, which is frankly a rather unusual reaction, if some atheists who frequent
portions of the site are any indication.
I have never been an atheist. I have heard others use the expression "religious agnostic" to indicate that they are predisposed to belief in some First Cause, but that they don't accept any existing religion's doctrines. This could apply to me. I did grow up in a Methodist Church through my junior high school years, but this never went very deep.
3. In your research, have you personally encountered many individuals with the "seeker" mindset?
Few of my personal friends have meaningful attachments to a church. It must be that we all seek out like-minded friends. So my personal acquaintances tend to be seekers or persons who are fully secularists.
I also know many people who fit the category of "highly active seeker"‹that is, individuals who are forever exploring new philosophies, new mysteries, new diets, new meditational practices, etc. Some are what I call "convertibles." They easily convert to one new system after another - always retaining a sense of enthusiasm, fresh energy, new discovery. I actually admire them. I am too cynical to be a highly active seeker, but I am a low-level seeker.
4. What has the reaction to your book been like so far?
I have received many letters and notes from persons who feel confirmed in their decisions to forego church affiliation. Most express some kind of bitterness about their experiences with ministers and churches. One that comes to mind was from a gay male; another that stands out in my memory is one from a female who felt belittled due to her gender. Most, however, are just intellectually curious people who could never settle for a fixed system of doctrines.
I should also add that when I do radio shows, I get overwhelming "positive" reaction if it is a public radio station. But when I do interviews on commercial stations, I get many more "negative" reactions - people calling in to make sure that other listeners realize that I am an atheist, untrustworthy, anti-American type.
5. Are seekers surprised to find out that they are not alone in their approach to spirituality, that there are others out there like them?
I don't think that many are very surprised that there are others like them. In fact, I think most unchurched folks are more curious why anyone could actually belong to a church. What most are surprised to learn is what a long history there is to unchurched American spirituality. Most are surprised at how few colonists attended church. They are surprised to learn that so-many of the "founding fathers" were free-thinkers when it came to religion, and how few were Christians.
6. What's the most unususal conglomeration of beliefs and practices you've encountered in a seeker?
In my personal experience, it would be my own father's weird combination of interests: parapsychology, UFOS, psychic healing, trance channeling, ancient wisdom traditions, Eastern gurus - all of which he insists are what Jesus really intended us to know about. In his view it was the "Christians" who garbled Jesus's occult teachings and lost them.
In my book, I cite the sociologist Meredith McGuire who interviewed a female teacher in Texas who was raised Catholic but now attends Mass only a few times a year when visiting her mother. Yet this woman sets aside an hour per day for meditation. She has a home altar that includes eighteen candles, an amulet attached to a photo of her grandmother, amethyst crystals, oriental incense, a Tibetan prayer bell, a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and some other traditional Catholic items.
7. Does the 62% of Americans being churched include those outside the Judeo-Christian tradition?
Yes, it does include affiliation with mosques, Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, etc. - but all of these non-Judeo-Christian memberships account for only about 2% of the whole US population as far as I can figure. I would welcome any other estimates.
8. In what ways in unchurched spirituality reshaping mainstream religious organizations?
Many mainline churches have yoga classes or teach some kind of meditation practice that is at least loosely connected with non-Western traditions. More importantly, most mainline clergy have some background in psychological counseling where they have had steady exposure to views of human nature that have no room for traditional notions of sin, fallenness, need for atonement, etc. Mainline clergy have been co-opted by the categories of humanistic psychology to an extent greater than most publicly acknowledge. But what I am really getting at is the lay person who has taken Eastern religion classes at college, who reads "Celestine Prophecy" or "The Road Less Traveled", or who becomes enamored of Joseph Campbell's theories of myth. These persons begin to filter the messages delivered from their churches in ways that change their meaning. This is also true of persons who dabble in New Age healing, dietary systems, feminist thought, etc. estimates.
9. So what you're saying is that the influence is primarily on the experience of the average person in the pews, rather than any sort of influence on the doctrines of the religion itself. Other than the pastors with psychological training, are you aware of unchurched spirituality impacting the religion on an institutional level in any way? Are the churches (the institutional hierarchy) aware this is happening? Has the reaction been positive or negative?
Formal theology changes only over the longest of time spans. But even though the formal theology of, say, Episcopalians and Presbyterians hasn't changed, in the US members of these congregations are NOT expected to take the bible literally; that is, in and of itself, a change in how people actually "consume" religon. And if we look at how members of mainline Protestant denominations and even half of all Catholics (I just made that figure up) "consume" their church's teachings, this is changing constantly. Popular culture always influences how churches are appropriated by individual members; and today, among those churches that have educated, actively reading members, the unchurched spiritual philosophies are exerting tremendous influence on the inner meaning of the faith these people have.
10. Do you have any sense for what percentage of consumers of popular psychology and alternative medicine are churched vs. unchurched?
Gosh, not really. But we can make some educated guesses. Studies of alternative medicine show us that the consumers are typically white, urban or suburban, and fairly well educated - fitting the same demographics of typical "spiritual, but not religious types." And, studies of "spiritual, but not religious" types show us that they are more likely than the general population to be in the kinds of helping professions that are exposed to psychology. So, it seems very plausible that the consumers of popular psychology and alternative medicine are more likely to be "unchurched" than the general population - but how much more we would just have to estimate. Sorry.
Thanks to Professor Fuller for taking the time to talk to us and for writing such an interesting book. I encourage people to take a look at, because it provides a different perspective on people's religious and theistic beliefs in the United States.
Learn more about Professor Fuller's book!
