Over the last twenty-five years, “no religion” has become the fastest-growing religious
preference in the United States. Around the world, hundreds of millions of people have
turned away from the traditional faiths of the past and embraced a moral yet nonreligious—
or secular—life, generating societies vastly less religious than at any other time in human
history. Revealing the inspiring beliefs that empower secular culture—alongside real stories
of nonreligious men and women based on extensive in-depth interviews from across the
country—Living the Secular Life will be indispensable for millions of secular Americans.
Drawing on innovative sociological research, Living the Secular Life illuminates this
demographic shift with the moral convictions that govern secular individuals, offering
crucial information for the religious and nonreligious alike. Living the Secular Life reveals
that, despite opinions to the contrary, nonreligious Americans possess a unique moral code
that allows them to effectively navigate the complexities of modern life. Spiritual selfreliance,
clear-eyed pragmatism, and an abiding faith in the Golden Rule to adjudicate
moral decisions: these common principles are shared across secular society. Living the
Secular Life demonstrates these principles in action and points to their usage throughout
daily life.