Atheism and Secularity: Atheism and Secularity: Volume 1: Issues, Concepts, and Definitions

by Phil Zuckerman (editor)

281 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Philip "Phil" Zuckerman (born June 26, 1969 in Los Angeles, California) is a professor of sociology at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. He specializes in the sociology of secularity. He is the author of several books, including Society Without God for which he won ForeWord Magazine's silver book of the year award, and Faith No More.

https://www.pitzer.edu/academics/facu...

Reviews

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of essays just didn't hold together well enough to form a solid introductory handbook. Several of the essays were not particularly well-organized or informative, and likewise several contained an unprofessional, anti-theist tone. (One might imagine that the whole point of an academic volume is to elevate the conversation above popular polemic.)

Nevertheless, a few chapters impressed. "A Portrait of Secular Group Affiliates" by Frank Pasquale combines quantitative approaches and thick description to put a real face on organized secularism in the Pacific Northwest. "The Evolution of Popular Religiosity and Secularism" by Gregory Paul is somewhat idiosyncratic and polemic, but manages to bring quite a lot of data to bear on the question of how religiosity affects the success of advanced democracies. "Atheism, Secularity, and Gender" by Inger Furseth is a study of nonbelievers in Norway, highlighting that both religion and irreligion in that country are often expressed in gendered fashion.