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Posts by Nonreligion in a Complex Future

Book Launch: Religion and Nonreligion in Same-Sex Marriage Debates: Emerging Imaginaries
Book Launch: Religion and Nonreligion in Same-Sex Marriage Debates: Emerging Imaginaries YouTube video by Nonreligion in a Complex Future

Missed last week's book launch for Religion and Nonreligion in Same-Sex Marriage Debates: Emerging Imaginaries? Watch it now here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNrM...

1 month ago 3 2 0 0

A new Canadian study suggests young adults worship most frequently.
www.cardus.ca/research/spi...

This study canvassed panelists in the Angus Reid Forum, a survey panel that accepts volunteers. The study is not based on a random sample of the Canadian population.

1 month ago 18 5 2 0
Is Atheism Growing in the Arab World?
Is Atheism Growing in the Arab World? YouTube video by ReligionForBreakfast

Informative video discussing the nuances between non-religious identification and beliefs in the 'Arab world', much of the discussion resonates with my research on non-religious refugees in and beyond this context:

👁️‍🗨️ youtu.be/Oy3JuwGJWBE?...

1 month ago 2 2 0 0
Book Launch: Unearthing Lifestances: What Community Gardens Tell Us About Nonreligion
Book Launch: Unearthing Lifestances: What Community Gardens Tell Us About Nonreligion YouTube video by Nonreligion in a Complex Future

Missed the recent Unearthing Lifestances book launch?? The recording is now available to watch on YouTube:

youtu.be/Ydj57K317eg

1 month ago 3 2 0 0
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The NCF Project invites you to an upcoming virtual book launch for our new book, Religion and Nonreligion in Same-Sex Marriage Debates: Emerging Imaginaries (De Gruyter, 2026).

Date: March 9, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm ET

Register: uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

1 month ago 2 1 0 0

Thrilled to share my *first* academic paper has been published in Secularism and Nonreligion! 🎉

I talk about the emotional journeys of leaving religion & navigating the British asylum system. Read it here 👉 secularismandnonreligion.org/articles/232...

2 months ago 5 1 0 0
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This is a reminder that there is still time to register for the NCF's virtual book launch to celebrate the release of the new book, Unearthing Lifestances: What Community Gardens Tell Us About Nonreligion (De Gruyter, 2026)

February 24
4pm ET

Register here: uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

2 months ago 4 3 0 0
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🔴NEW PUBLICATION🔴

"Religiosity is Declining BUT Giving is Increasing: Can the Nonreligious Really Be Less Generous?" by Ryan T. Cragun, Alexandra Rodriguez, Jesse Smith and David Speed.

Read the paper here:

🔗 doi.org/10.5334/snr....

#NonReligion #SociologyOfReligion #ReligiousNones #AcademicSky

2 months ago 1 1 0 0
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What can community gardens tell us about nonreligion? How have debates over same-sex marriage revealed the boundaries between religion and nonreligion? Has there been a religious revival in the UK?

Find out about all this and more in this edition of the NCF's newsletter:

mailchi.mp/nonreligionp...

2 months ago 4 2 0 0
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New episode of the Lifestances Podcast is now available!

Ep. 7: Religion and Nonreligion in the Classroom: Educating for a Diverse World

Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/5EVs...

2 months ago 5 2 0 0
teaching histories of atheism, secularism, and humanism. speakers Tina Block (Thompson Rivers University, Canada), Katharina Neef (University of Leipzig, Germany), and Atko Remmel (University of Tartu, Estonia). February 18th, 10.00 PT, 13.00 ET, 18.00 GMT, and 19.00 CET To sign up for the webinar and get the zoom link email ishashmail@gmail.com

teaching histories of atheism, secularism, and humanism. speakers Tina Block (Thompson Rivers University, Canada), Katharina Neef (University of Leipzig, Germany), and Atko Remmel (University of Tartu, Estonia). February 18th, 10.00 PT, 13.00 ET, 18.00 GMT, and 19.00 CET To sign up for the webinar and get the zoom link email ishashmail@gmail.com

Our first webinar of 2026 will be a chance to reflect on, discuss, and share experiences of teaching histories of atheism, secularism, and humanism. Join us on Wed 18 February - just get in touch to register, all welcome! atheismsecularismhumanism.wordpress.com/seminars/

2 months ago 8 4 1 0
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Unearthing Lifestances A growing number of people across the western world are identifying as nonreligious. This book examines this shift through the lens of community gardens. We do not ask people what they believe in ways...

Read the book for free here: www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

2 months ago 2 0 0 0
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The NCF invites you to an upcoming virtual book launch for the newest book from our team, Unearthing Lifestances: What Community Gardens Tell Us About Nonreligion (De Gruyter, 2026).

Date: February 24, 2026
Time: 4:00 pm ET

Register here: uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

2 months ago 4 4 2 0
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Has there been a Christian revival among young adults in the U.K.? Recent surveys may be misleading Despite the widely recognized decline of Christianity in the U.K., there have been persistent rumblings of a Christian resurgence.

Has there been a religious revival in the UK? In this article, @conradhackett.bsky.social (Pew Research) digs into this question and shows how the use of certain survey methods can offer a skewed picture

www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

2 months ago 4 2 0 0
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Freethought History Webinar #8: Annie Besant, Secularist and Feminist. With Lucie Lemieux (3 March 2026). - The Freethinker An invitation to the eighth in our Freethought History Webinar series.

Announcing the 8th Freethought History Webinar, ft. Lucie Lemieux on the secularist and feminist life and career of Annie Besant, one-time vice president of @natsecsoc.bsky.social.

Happening on 3 March! More info and how to register 👇

freethinker.co.uk/2026/01/free...

2 months ago 18 6 0 0
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Secular Religious Education? Brief Reflections Based on a Brazilian Case Guilherme Borges is a postdoctoral researcher at the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning and at the Nonreligion in a Complex Future project, based at the University of Ottawa. Drawing on the…

New from NCF team member Guilherme Borges, "Secular Religious Education? Brief Reflections Based on a Brazilian Case" in the NSRN blog

@thensrn.bsky.social

thensrn.org/2026/01/17/s...

2 months ago 2 1 0 0
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Religion and Nonreligion in Same Sex Marriage Debates In recent decades, questions about who makes up a family, the role of biology in defining sex, and the origins of human life have been the source of deep social, moral, and legal controversies. This b...

This book is open access, meaning it is free for anyone to read.

Read here:

www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

3 months ago 3 0 0 0
New Publication Alert

Religion and Nonreligion in Same Sex Marriage Debates: Emerging Imaginaries

In recent decades, questions about who makes up a family, the role of biology in defining sex, and the origins of human life have been the source of deep social, moral, and legal controversies. This book focuses on the debates around same-sex marriage in seven countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the United States) and uses these debates to examine the demarcations and zones of transition between the religious and the nonreligious.

New Publication Alert Religion and Nonreligion in Same Sex Marriage Debates: Emerging Imaginaries In recent decades, questions about who makes up a family, the role of biology in defining sex, and the origins of human life have been the source of deep social, moral, and legal controversies. This book focuses on the debates around same-sex marriage in seven countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the United States) and uses these debates to examine the demarcations and zones of transition between the religious and the nonreligious.

We're excited to announce the publication of Religion and Nonreligion in Same Sex Marriage Debates: Emerging Imaginaries (edited by Juan Marco Vaggione, Paula Montero, and Lori G. Beaman).

This is the latest in our NCF book series published by De Gruyter.

3 months ago 9 4 2 1
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Núcleo de Religiões no Mundo Contemporâneo lança livro sobre debates em torno do casamento entre pessoas do mesmo sexo - CEBRAP Acaba de ser publicado pela editora De Gruyter a coletânea Religion and Nonreligion in Same Sex Marriage Debates: Emerging Imaginaries, que analisa os debates públicos sobre o casamento entre pessoas ...

[acesso aberto] Saiu a coletânea sobre não religião e o debate acerca do casamento entre pessoas do mesmo sexo, do @nonreligioncf.bsky.social, em que o Cebrap participa. A organização é de Juan M Vaggione, Paula Montero e Lori G Beaman. cebrap.org.br/nucleo-de-re...

4 months ago 2 1 0 0
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Nonbelieving Clergy Alexandr Zamușinski is a scholar of religion specializing in secularism, nonreligion, and religious change. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Riverside and is currently Instructor a…

Check out the latest article in the NSRN blog by Alexandr Zamușinski

@thensrn.bsky.social

thensrn.org/2025/11/13/n...

4 months ago 1 0 0 0
ABSTRACT

Noting a disconnect in the percentage of Canadians and Americans who believe in a soul (75.37% and 84%, respectively) versus those who believe in an afterlife (47.64% and 57.04%), we explore the variables that are correlated with soul belief to better understand how people from these two countries may be conceptualizing the soul. Based on quota samples of just over 1000 individuals from each country, we find that religiosity is not a consistent predictor of believing in a soul, that Christians are more likely to believe in a soul than are those from other religions and the nonreligious, and that holding other supernatural beliefs (e.g., reincarnation, miracles, etc.) increases the odds of believing in a soul. But we also find that there are individuals in both countries who hold no supernatural beliefs yet report believing in a soul, which suggests that what is meant by “soul” is not exclusively supernatural but rather that the term “soul” is evolving in light of changing and declining religiosity in both countries.

ABSTRACT Noting a disconnect in the percentage of Canadians and Americans who believe in a soul (75.37% and 84%, respectively) versus those who believe in an afterlife (47.64% and 57.04%), we explore the variables that are correlated with soul belief to better understand how people from these two countries may be conceptualizing the soul. Based on quota samples of just over 1000 individuals from each country, we find that religiosity is not a consistent predictor of believing in a soul, that Christians are more likely to believe in a soul than are those from other religions and the nonreligious, and that holding other supernatural beliefs (e.g., reincarnation, miracles, etc.) increases the odds of believing in a soul. But we also find that there are individuals in both countries who hold no supernatural beliefs yet report believing in a soul, which suggests that what is meant by “soul” is not exclusively supernatural but rather that the term “soul” is evolving in light of changing and declining religiosity in both countries.

4 months ago 1 0 0 0
New Publication alert

"Appropriating the ‘Soul’: Evolving Understandings in Canada and the United States”

Canadian Review of Sociology (2025)


Dana Gaudette
NCF Student Researcher
University of Tampa

Ryan Cragun
NCF Co-Investigator
University of Tampa

Lori Beaman
NCF Principal Investigator
University of Ottawa

New Publication alert "Appropriating the ‘Soul’: Evolving Understandings in Canada and the United States” Canadian Review of Sociology (2025) Dana Gaudette NCF Student Researcher University of Tampa Ryan Cragun NCF Co-Investigator University of Tampa Lori Beaman NCF Principal Investigator University of Ottawa

Are there individuals who hold no supernatural beliefs yet still believe in a soul? Find out the answer (and more) in the latest article from the NCF team.

Read here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

4 months ago 4 3 1 0
Lori G. Beaman

Lori G. Beaman

Congratulations to SSSR member Lori G. Beaman who was named the 2024-2025 Distinguished University Professor @uottawa.ca. Beaman holds the Canada Research Chair in Religious Diversity & Social Change, and directs the @nonreligioncf.bsky.social (NCF) Project.

www.uottawa.ca/about-us/lea...

4 months ago 8 1 0 0
Exploring Deep Equality with Prof Lori G Beaman
Exploring Deep Equality with Prof Lori G Beaman YouTube video by Social Repair Research Group

Our recent masterclass with Prof Lori G Beaman of @nonreligioncf.bsky.social is now available to watch on YouTube! Prof Beaman presented her work on 'deep equality' as an alternative to tolerance and accommodation in diverse societies. Watch here👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAAy...

5 months ago 1 3 0 0
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Having learned of Stephen Weldon’s book at a recent webinar co-hosted by @nonreligioncf.bsky.social and @ishash.bsky.social, I’ve started reading The Scientific Spirit of American Humanism.

5 months ago 2 2 1 0
A cover of the book, Unearthing Lifestances, and a description that says:

Drawing on interviews from community gardeners in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Finland, Norway, Northern Ireland, and the United States, this book explores themes of community-building, ritual, ethics, and relationships with humans, non-humans, and the natural world, arguing for their conceptualization as ‘lifestances’

A cover of the book, Unearthing Lifestances, and a description that says: Drawing on interviews from community gardeners in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Finland, Norway, Northern Ireland, and the United States, this book explores themes of community-building, ritual, ethics, and relationships with humans, non-humans, and the natural world, arguing for their conceptualization as ‘lifestances’

We're excited to announce the publication of Unearthing Lifestances: What Community Gardens Tell Us About Nonreligion (co-edited by Lori Beaman, Ryan Cragun, and Douglas Ezzy), the first in our open-access book series with De Gruyter.

Read here for free: www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

5 months ago 12 7 0 0

Unfortunately we need to cancel this webinar tomorrow, but we hope to reschedule soon. Watch this space!

5 months ago 2 0 0 0
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This is still time to register for our latest Meet the Author webinar featuring Ben Laws. In this webinar, Dr. Laws will present his new book, Asylum and Nonreligion: Emotions, Evidence-making and Credibility (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024)

Nov. 12, 11am ET

Register: uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

5 months ago 3 1 0 1
Humanities at Large Podcast | Jackman Humanities Institute Humanities at Large is a podcast from the Jackman Humanities Institute that features conversations with our Fellows—scholars, artists and thinkers—who explore how the humanities can offer fresh perspe...

📣 Check out this podcast interview featuring the NCF's @cmillerphd.bsky.social, "Going Underground: The World of Natural Burials," where he discusses his latest research on green/natural burials

www.humanities.utoronto.ca/news-events/...

5 months ago 3 0 0 0
Nonreligion, Past and Present: Interdisciplinary Conversations: Science and Nonreligion
Nonreligion, Past and Present: Interdisciplinary Conversations: Science and Nonreligion YouTube video by Nonreligion in a Complex Future

The latest webinar in our series, Nonreligion, Past and Present: Interdisciplinary Conversations, is now available to watch on YouTube.

This webinar focuses on science and nonreligion, and features Renny Thomas, Stephen Weldon, Bernard Lightman, and Lauren Strumos.

Watch here: youtu.be/DuuLLPZb4ls

5 months ago 4 1 0 0