Nonreligion in a Complex Future
LightNews LightNews
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Nonreligion in a Complex Future
@nonreligioncf.bsky.social
270 followers 250 following 78 posts
International social science research project exploring the rise of nonreligion. Based at the University of Ottawa. Directed by Lori G. Beaman. Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

https://nonreligionproject.ca/
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Nonreligion in a Complex Future @nonreligioncf.bsky.social · Nov 13
Hello Bluesky! 👋 We are an international research project based at the University of Ottawa studying the impacts of the rise of nonreligion, focusing on attitudes to death and dying, the environment, education, immigration, the law, and more.

Find out more about our project: nonreligionproject.ca
Home - Nonreligion in a Complex Future Project
nonreligionproject.ca
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
socialrepair.bsky.social
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...
Exploring Deep Equality with Prof Lori G Beaman
YouTube video by Social Repair Research Group
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
fromtherostra.com
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.
November 13, 2025 at 9:56 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
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...
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’
November 12, 2025 at 7:11 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Unfortunately we need to cancel this webinar tomorrow, but we hope to reschedule soon. Watch this space!
nonreligioncf.bsky.social Nonreligion in a Complex Future @nonreligioncf.bsky.social · 8d
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...
November 11, 2025 at 1:51 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
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...
November 10, 2025 at 8:55 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
📣 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/...
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...
www.humanities.utoronto.ca
November 6, 2025 at 3:55 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
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
Nonreligion, Past and Present: Interdisciplinary Conversations: Science and Nonreligion
YouTube video by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
csrs-uvic.bsky.social
Law scholar Mélisande Séguin joins us Thursday to discuss her work with the Indigenous Campesino movement in Guatemala, and the line between scholarship and activism. Join us Thursday!
November 3, 2025 at 6:39 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Register now 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).

November 12
11am ET

Register here: uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
November 3, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
conradhackett.bsky.social
A secular transition is happening in countries around the world. Detailed explanation🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41....
Many Muslim-majority countries, Hindu-majority India in early stage. Countries with large Buddhist & Christian populations in later stages.
Blog: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Religion generally declines between generations in three steps: People participate in worship services less often. The importance of religion declines in their personal lives. Belonging to religion becomes less common. They call this the Participation-Importance-Belonging (P-I-B) sequence. In this sequence, generations first shed aspects of religion that require more time and resources. People are slower to shed religious identity, which is not necessarily as burdensome. In the early stage of secular transition, generations differ primarily in their religious participation. In some countries that remain highly religious today, recent surveys show that each country’s share of adults under age 40 who frequently attend religious services has dropped below the share of older adults who do so. Many African countries are currently in this early stage. For example, in Senegal, 78% of older adults attend worship services weekly, but younger adults are 14 percentage points less likely to do so. Yet almost all adults in Senegal – both young and old – still identify as Muslims and consider religion very important in their lives. In the medium stage of secular transition, generations differ in their religious participation, importance and belonging. In countries that are moderately religious, all three steps in the P-I-B sequence are visible in recent surveys. Adults under 40 attend services less frequently than their elders, are less likely to say religion is important in their lives and are less likely to identify with any religion. This is the case currently in the U.S., along with many other countries in the Americas and Asia. In the late stage of secular transition, generations differ primarily in religious belonging. The authors contend that this is because the first two steps have been completed. The shares of older adults who attend services and who consider religion important in their lives have already dropped to low levels, similar to those of younger adults. In the least religious countries today, the main difference between age groups is that younger adults are less likely to identify with any religion. Many countries in Europe have reached this stage. For example, in Denmark, 79% of older adults remain religiously affiliated, but adults under 40 are 26 points less likely to say they belong to any religion. Attendance at religious services and self-assessments of the importance of religion are low among people of all ages.
September 15, 2025 at 6:03 AM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Happening this Wednesday!

Register for the latest webinar in our series, Nonreligion, Past and Present: Interdisciplinary Conversations, a collaboration with @ishash.bsky.social. This webinar will focus on science and nonreligion.

Oct 29, 1pm ET

Register here: uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Nonreligion, Past and Present: Interdisciplinary Conversations Science and Nonreligion Renny Thomas (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal), Stephen Weldon (University of Oklahoma), Bernard Lightman (York University, Toronto), and Lauren Strumos (University of Alberta).
October 27, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
ishash.bsky.social
Join us on Wednesday for another "Nonreligion Past and Present" webinar, this time on nonreligion and science. In cooperation with @nonreligioncf.bsky.social. As always we have great scholars in the panel. Do not forget to register to get the zoom link: uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
October 26, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
ircsf.bsky.social
Featuring our very own Director Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, among many other researchers on the nonreligious in Canada.
October 21, 2025 at 4:56 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Read the latest article from NCF researchers, Iriana Sartor and Giovanna Paccillo, which explores the lifestances of community gardeners in Brazil and Argentina.

Read here:
periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.ph...
New Publication alert “Trabajar la tierra, el ‘cultivo’ de sí y del ambiente: la construcción de una ética no religiosa en huertas comunitarias en Brasil y Argentina” [“Working the Soil, ‘Cultivating’ the Self and the Environment: The Construction of a Nonreligious Ethic in Community Gardens in Brazil and Argentina”] Ciencias Sociales y Religión (2025) Iriana Sartor Universidad Nacional de Córdoba / CONICET- Argentina Giovanna Paccillo Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Brasil
October 17, 2025 at 3:19 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
This new article from Canadian Affairs features commentary from a number of NCF team members, including Lori Beaman, @joelthiessen.bsky.social, and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme

www.canadianaffairs.news/2025/10/13/t...
The surprising characteristics of non-religious Canadians
Religious 'nones' are Canada’s second largest group after Christians. But their beliefs are more diverse than their name implies
www.canadianaffairs.news
October 15, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
joelthiessen.bsky.social
Just released news article in @cdnaffairs.bsky.social, featuring yours truly along with good friends and colleagues at @nonreligioncf.bsky.social - www.canadianaffairs.news/2025/10/13/t...
The surprising characteristics of non-religious Canadians
Religious 'nones' are Canada’s second largest group after Christians. But their beliefs are more diverse than their name implies
www.canadianaffairs.news
October 15, 2025 at 2:38 AM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Happening this Thursday! 👇
socialrepair.bsky.social Social Repair @socialrepair.bsky.social · Oct 6
Masterclass announcement! Lori Beaman of @nonreligioncf.bsky.social will be talking to us on "Exploring
Deep Equality" next week on Thursday 16th October.

3pm South Africa / 9am Canada / 10am Brazil / 2pm UK

Zoom link: us06web.zoom.us/j/8160513998...

Access code: 108926
Exploring Deep Equality Speaker: Prof Lori G. Beaman Lori G. Beaman is the Canada Research Chair in Religious Diversity and Social Change and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa. She directs Nonreligion in a Complex Future, an international, comparative, and interdisciplinary project exploring the social impact of the growth of nonreligion in diverse cultural contexts. Her research focuses on nonreligion, religious diversity, equality, and law, engaging both mainstream and underrepresented populations. She is the author of Deep Equality in an Era of Religious Diversity (Oxford University Press). Thursday 16th October 2025 15:00–16:30 - South Africa / 9:00–10:30 - Canada / 10:00–11:30 - Brazil / 14:00–14:30 - United Kingdom Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81605139987?pwd=0fqVBC5RMrdI5eaQKHiCvEguMespPB.1 Access code: 108926
October 14, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
feelingtheory.bsky.social
Science and religion folks: Check out this job posting at one of the most storied religious studies departments in the country--and share with our junior colleagues!

unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
Assistant Professor
The Department of Religious Studies is recruiting for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Religion and Science. Candidates should have broad training in their field of expertise, a commitment to int...
unc.peopleadmin.com
October 13, 2025 at 11:34 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Register now for the latest webinar in our series, Nonreligion, Past and Present: Interdisciplinary Conversations, a collaboration with @ishash.bsky.social. This webinar will focus on the relationship between science and the natural world.

Oct 29, 1pm ET

Register uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Nonreligion, Past and Present: Interdisciplinary Conversations Science and Nonreligion Renny Thomas (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal), Stephen Weldon (University of Oklahoma), Bernard Lightman (York University, Toronto), and Lauren Strumos (University of Alberta).
October 8, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
socialrepair.bsky.social
Masterclass announcement! Lori Beaman of @nonreligioncf.bsky.social will be talking to us on "Exploring
Deep Equality" next week on Thursday 16th October.

3pm South Africa / 9am Canada / 10am Brazil / 2pm UK

Zoom link: us06web.zoom.us/j/8160513998...

Access code: 108926
Exploring Deep Equality Speaker: Prof Lori G. Beaman Lori G. Beaman is the Canada Research Chair in Religious Diversity and Social Change and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa. She directs Nonreligion in a Complex Future, an international, comparative, and interdisciplinary project exploring the social impact of the growth of nonreligion in diverse cultural contexts. Her research focuses on nonreligion, religious diversity, equality, and law, engaging both mainstream and underrepresented populations. She is the author of Deep Equality in an Era of Religious Diversity (Oxford University Press). Thursday 16th October 2025 15:00–16:30 - South Africa / 9:00–10:30 - Canada / 10:00–11:30 - Brazil / 14:00–14:30 - United Kingdom Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81605139987?pwd=0fqVBC5RMrdI5eaQKHiCvEguMespPB.1 Access code: 108926
October 6, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
ishash.bsky.social
Looking forward hearing our newest associate director, Barathy MG, speaking at this webinar!
humanists.uk Humanists UK @humanists.uk · Sep 26
Discover India's rich humanist heritage from ancient Charvaka philosophy to modern secular ideals. Join our expert panel discussion on 16 October online. humanists.uk/events/explo...
Beyond Belief | Exploring India's Humanist Heritage
Get an email that automatically logs you in:
humanists.uk
September 26, 2025 at 9:12 AM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Happening next week:

A webinar from the @socialrepair.bsky.social project, co-led by Lori Beaman.

"Understanding Global Racisms: Beyond Euro-American Centricity," Tariq Modood

October 1, 2025
9am ET

Zoom link: us06web.zoom.us/j/8174893023...
Access code: 546157
Understanding Global Racisms: Beyond Euro-American centricity Prof Tariq Modood Tariq Modood is Professor of Sociology, Politics and Public Policy, the founding director of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship at the University of Bristol and the co-founder of the international journal, Ethnicities. He served on the Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain, the National Equality Panel, and the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life. His latest books include Essays on Secularism and Multiculturalism (2019), Multiculturalism: A Civic Idea (2nd ed; 2013); and as Special Issues co-editor with Thomas Sealy, Beyond Euro-Americancentric Forms of Racism and Anti-racism (Political Quarterly, 2022) and Global Comparative Analysis of the Governance of Religious Diversity (Religion, State and Society, 2022). His latest book, with Thomas Sealy, is The New Governance of Religious Diversity (2024). Prof Modood will be speaking on how the concept of racialisation, developed in Britain and the Global North, may be useful for understanding some forms of prejudice, exclusion and domination in the Global South. DISCUSSANT Morgane Reina Morgane Reina has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Brasília (2021). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences (Multidisciplinary) from the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po – 2013) and a Master’s degree in Political Sociology from the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po – 2015). DATE: Wednesday, 1 October 2025 TIME: 15:00 - South Africa 9:00 - Canada (Ottawa) 10:00 - Brazil (São Paulo) 14:00 - United Kingdom
September 25, 2025 at 3:58 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Our most recent webinar is now available on YouTube!

In this webinar, Sarah Kathleen Johnson presented her new book, Occasional Religious Practice: Valuing a Very Ordinary Religious Experience (Oxford University Press, 2025).

Watch here: youtu.be/9bB7vl135Dc?...
Meet the Author: Sarah Kathleen Johnson
YouTube video by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
youtu.be
September 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
nonreligioncf.bsky.social
Read the latest article from NCF team members Ryan Cragun, Hugo Rabbia, Sivert Skålvoll Urstad, and Peter Beyer. In this article, the authors draw on research from the NCF's Social and Cultural Values Survey to re-think how to best measure nonreligion.

secularismandnonreligion.org/articles/10....
New Publication Alert “Measuring Nonreligion as Absence: Testing Various Approaches” Secularism and Nonreligion (2025) Ryan T. Cragun NCF Co-Investigator, University of Tampa Hugo H. Rabbia NCF Contributor, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Sivert Skålvoll Urstad NCF Contributor, University of Agder Peter Beyer NCF Co-Investigator, University of Ottawa
September 23, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Reposted by Nonreligion in a Complex Future
s-n-journal.bsky.social
🔴 NEW PUBLICATION 🔴
"Measuring Nonreligion as Absence: Testing Various Approaches" by R. T. Cragun, H. H. Rabbia, S. Skålvoll Urstad and P. Beyer

The paper examines different “absence measures” scholars use to classify individuals as religious/nonreligious

🔗 Read it (Open): doi.org/10.5334/snr....
September 22, 2025 at 2:20 PM