Nonverts

The Making of Ex-Christian America

By: Stephen Bullivant

Narrated by: Liam Gerrard

Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

An entertaining and insightful exploration of the American ex-religious

The United States is in the midst of a religious revolution. Or, perhaps it is better to say a non-religious revolution. Around a quarter of US adults now say they have no religion. The great majority of these religious "nones" also say that they used to belong to a religion but no longer do. These are the nonverts: think "converts," but from having religion to having none. There are currently about fifty-nine million of them in the United States.

Nonverts explores who they are, and why they joined the rising tide of the ex-religious. One of world's leading experts on contemporary atheism and nonreligiosity, sociologist and theologian Stephen Bullivant draws on dozens of interviews, original analysis of high-quality survey data, and a wealth of cutting-edge studies, to present an entertaining and insightful exploration of America's ex-religious landscape. Bullivant crisscrosses the country, talking to everyone from ex-Mormons in Utah to ex-Catholics in Pennsylvania, from ex-Evangelicals in Georgia to ex-Muslims in California, showing not only what they have in common but also how the traditions they left behind continue to shape them.

©2022 Stephen Bullivant (P)2022 Tantor

Clear thinking

Bullivant gives a quite credible assessment of the cultural forces that got us to where we are today. It's clear that "What happened?" rather than "Who's to blame?" was the question motivating him. I don't know, and he doesn't CLAIM to know, what that means we should do in response, but at least he's first trying to figure out exactly where we are.

My opinion is that the political health of our Constitutional system depends on the religious health of the citizenry. Thus, if our religious health continues to decline as it has, there will come a time when our political system will collapse. Whether that will take two weeks or two hundred years, I don't know. But that looks to be where we're headed. If/when that DOES happen, it's anybody's guess where all the debris will come to rest, and what might be done with it.

Meantime, you might consider praying.

Excellent “story” of our current realities of religion in America

It takes a Brit to step back and examine our religious status. I loved it!

Very enjoyable for this nonvert

This book has a fun analysis of the rapid secularization of the US, which for me as a deep southern American can’t come soon enough. It’s nice to know I’m in way more numerous company than decades ago.

Honest but Troubling

Not the message I wanted to hear, but undeniable! Biggest take away from a Catholic concerned with young people leaving the faith is we have to “Walk the walk” and not just “Talk the talk” , or it us as family patriarchs or matriarchs, and not society, who have convinced our kids to leave the faith!

Deeply Insightful, But …

Most audible books of this sort that has numerous charts and graphs come with an attachment which one can download. This did not which is a bit of a problem audible needs to solve if it is producing such books.

The voice performance was really great. The only negative (which I hate to bring up because it is often the opposite that is problematic) is that it was read too fast. Needs a few more pauses. Probably could add 30 minutes to it and would be ideal.

The book itself is exceptional if short in prescriptive suggestions other than quoting a few at the end who offer suggestions about the present and future. Still, a book of great value and insight.

Anemic analysis

The book is filled with anecdotal information. It lacks, sadly, meaningful analysis. I suspect it is because the author’s bias against evangelical Christianity is apparent. One statistic that is noted is that “none” are mostly people from a liberal background. The church may be doing too much handwringing over an issue that is really about non-believers.