Theology for Nones: Helping People Find God in a Secular Age

• Authors: Robert A. Delfino , Andrew Gniadek
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

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.

Keywords

EN

nones; atheists; agnostics; naturalists; spiritual but not religious; disenchantment; secularization theory; scientism; natural theology; spiritual centers; Sam Harris; Richard Dawkins; Walter Rauschenbusch; Mary Eberstadt; Charles Taylor; Joseph Bottum; Saint Thomas Aquinas; Jacques Maritain; Mariano Artigas

• Publisher: International Étienne Gilson Society
• Journal: Studia Gilsoniana
• Year: 2017
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 31-46

Dates

published

2017-03-30

Contributors

author

Robert A. Delfino

• St. John’s University, Staten Island, NY USA

author

Andrew Gniadek

• Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Cromwell, CT USA

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Identifiers

ISSN

2300-0066