Belief without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but not Religious

by Linda A. Mercadante

Named A Best Spiritual Book of the Year by Spirituality & Practice

The last twenty years have seen a dramatic increase in "nones": people who do not claim any religious affiliation. These "nones" now outnumber even the largest Protestant denominations in America. They are not to be confused with secularists, however, for many of them identify themselves as "spiritual but not religious" (SBNR). The response to this dramatic change in American religion has been amazingly mixed. While social scientists have been busy counting and categorizing them, the public has swung between derision and adulation. Some complain "nones" are simply shallow dilettantes, narcissistically concerned with their own inner world. Others hail them as spiritual giants, and ground-breaking pioneers. Rarely, however, have these "nones" been asked to explain their own views, beliefs, and experiences. In Belief without Borders, theologian and one-time SBNR Linda Mercadante finally gives these individuals a chance to speak for themselves.

This volume is the result of extensive observation and nearly 100 in-depth interviews with SBNRs across the United States. Mercadante presents SBNRs' stories, shows how they analyze their spiritual journeys, and explains why they reject the claims of organized religion. Surprisingly, however, Mercadante finds these SBNRs within as well as outside the church. She reveals the unexpected, emerging latent theology within this group, including the interviewees' creative concepts of divine transcendence, life after death, human nature, and community. The conclusions she draws are startling: despite the fact that SBNRs routinely discount the creeds and doctrines of organized religion, many have devised a structured set of beliefs, often purposefully in opposition to doctrines associated with Christianity.

Belief without Borders is a captivating exploration of a growing belief system certain to transform the spiritual character of America.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 21, 2014

Reviews

[Fred Kohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book the totally wrong way. If I had it to do over, I would first read the conclusion, then the appendices, then start at the beginning. Then I would write on a separate piece of paper the definitions of the generational distinctions the author makes (Baby Boomer, Gen-X, etc.) as well as her distinctions between "types" of SBNRs (seekers, immigrants, etc.) If I had this information in front of me to refer back to as I dived into the meat of the book, I would not have been as lost.

The meat of the book is the results of interviews with great numbers of SBNRs. I suppose that it is natural for the author as a theologian to divide the book up by theological themes, but I think it would have been easier to read if representative individuals had each gotten a chapter. Then I wouldn't have had to deal with statements such as: "Kevin (who we previously saw in Chapter 3).

But while I wasn't thrilled with how the book was organized, the material was wonderful; especially the concluding chapter. If you read nothing else, read the conclusion.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

to whoever owned this copy before me, put the highlighter DOWN

[Dana Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a very complicated subject that shows our world is changing. If you are looking for an indication of what the future holds for this group of "SBNR" (Spiritual but not religious) and our society, it won't be found here. No one has THE Crystal Ball. That the SBNRs are turned off by organized religion is very clear. However, they have good reasons for being so turned off, but hold a large number of fallacies too. Yet, in this post-modern paradigm we are living in, reasons, facts, truths are all relative. Mercadante believes this is important for religion. I think the threats to democracy and the livability of this planet are more important, but I digress.

I cannot leave this review without touching on the larger issue of religious beliefs, as if there is a final exam for which one has to know the correct answers. Obviously, no such exam will happen. In fact, the etymology of the word, "religion," has nothing what-so-ever to do with beliefs. As Friedrich Schleiermacher said in, "On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers (1799)," "Religion must be some intuition of the infinite in the finite." Why would religion stem from the Latin verb, religare, which means, "to tie together again," and was a nautical term? Is it possible that living in the finite isn't easy and that we sometimes feel disconnected, in need of being tied together again to one another and the Ground of our Being (Tillich)? It is too bad that our English word, religion, has gotten so far off course in these two millennia. Maybe the SBNR's have an intuition that religion is off course. If so, I would agree.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Mercadante’s Belief Without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual But Not Religious is a wonderful introduction, primarily within the U.S., of a growing movement in the secular world [for the most part Western OECD countries]. The book examines who the SBNR (spiritual but not religious) are and why it is they have found traditional religious structures insufficient to meet their spiritual needs.

This is not an anti-religion diatribe, but a conscientious examination of a growing spiritual movement. Mercadante is honest, forthright, sympathetic, and insightful when it comes to not simply analyzing individual shifts away from traditional religion but what the movement (SBNR) as a whole seems to be suggesting for the future of faith and spirituality.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Recommended for those interested in spiritual movements and seekers alike.

[Pollinator · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book investigating the rise of the "Spiritual But Not Religious" proclaimers in the U.S.
Outlines their beliefs and significance of this movement. Also details the shortfalls of this idealogical
practice and makes a strong claim for religion's place within society. Everyone should read at least the conclusion/summary last chapter
of the book. It's extremely illuminating. I'd give it 5 stars, yet some of the interviewees that she details aren't all that compelling.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Religious surveys are seeing an increase in people who identify as "none" or "spiritual but not religious". Mercadante used qualitative research to understand their beliefs or rather their non-beliefs. I wasn't surprised that the majority of her research participants were white baby boomers. Worth a read if you're interested in sociology/religion.

[Beth Shultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about people who believe in God, but are not members of a local church. A percentage that is growing every year. Reading their stories was sometimes difficult. A lot of people have general assumptions about this group of people. You would be surprised to find out differently.

[Bill Mcfadden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Execellent and exhaustive research about SPNRs (Spiritual But not Religious.
Reading all the resaerch material can be tedious but con clusions and implications well worth attending to.

[Chelsea DeVries · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a well-written book but I was confused about what it was about. It just wasn't for me.

[Diane]

Möbius

[A.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and accessible.