Theology for nones: Helping people find God in a secular age Cover Image

Theology for nones: Helping people find God in a secular age
Theology for nones: Helping people find God in a secular age

Author(s): Robert A. Delfino
Subject(s): Theology and Religion, Sociology of Culture
Published by: International Étienne Gilson Society
Keywords: nones; atheists; agnostics; naturalists; spiritual but not religious; disenchantment; secularization theory; scientism; natural theology; spiritual centers; Sam Harris; Richard Dawkins;

Summary/Abstract: One-third of all adults under the age of thirty in the United States of America are ‘nones’. Nones include atheists, agnostics, and those who answer “nothing in particular” to religious survey questions. In this article the authors examine the rise of the nones, drawing upon the work of Mary Eberstadt, Charles Taylor, and Joseph Bottum. We classify the nones into three groups: naturalists, transcendent spiritualists, and non-transcendent spiritualists. After discussing various challenges for evangelization among the nones, we propose some ideas to address these challenges. Here we draw upon the work of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Jacques Maritain, and Mariano Artigas. Finally, we discuss some cultural concerns and problems that would probably result if the rise of the nones is left unaddressed.

  • Issue Year: 6/2017
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 31-46
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: English