Sociologist and professor Dr. Christian Smith discusses his recent book, "Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America". We discuss the reasons for the decline of faith in a traditionally Christian nation, the seeming recent revival of faith among the younger generation, and what these developments mean for the future of religion in America.
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EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:13 How do we define religion?
00:05:44 In what sense has religion gone obsolete?
00:09:13 Why has religion gone obsolete?
00:18:52 Is religion trending downward worldwide?
00:21:20 The internet's role in undermining religion
00:25:43 The "cringy-ness" of online religious outreach
00:28:11 The legacy of the New Atheists
00:32:01 The role conservative politics has played
00:37:33 Does this mean Americans are atheists?
00:46:50 The advance of science did not cause religious decline
00:50:26 The negative impact of creationism
00:54:01 Homosexuality and abortion as the ride-or-die issues
01:02:09 A revival of faith among American youth?
01:10:20 Does religion have a future?
