Non+Religion Research Brief

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Non+Religion Research Brief is a podcast featuring short discussions of peer-reviewed social science research on nonreligion and religion. Typical episodes offer five-minute summaries of journal articles. Occasionally, longer episodes will take a deeper look at especially important studies. Episodes are AI-generated, curated editorially, and designed to help listeners keep up with research across disciplines. All episodes encourage engagement with the original scholarship and are not a substitute for reading the full publications.

  1. 1d ago

    S01E54 - Disbelief: The Origins of Atheism in a Religious Species

    In his book Disbelief: The Origins of Atheism in a Religious Species, psychologist Will M. Gervais explores the evolutionary and cognitive foundations of human spirituality and nonbelief. The author draws on his professional background in cultural psychology to challenge the "New Atheist" narrative that religion is merely a product of irrationality. Instead, the text argues that faith is a universal human trait rooted in our evolved mental architecture, making the existence of atheism a scientific puzzle worth investigating. By examining why most people believe in deities and how others do not, Gervais aims to use scientific inquiry to provide a deeper understanding of human nature. The book documents his journey from a student discovering his own lack of faith to a researcher helping establish the psychology of atheism as a legitimate academic field. Ultimately, the source serves as a bridge between evolutionary biology and the study of secularism, framing religion as a natural phenomenon rather than a supernatural one. Citation: Gervais, Will M. 2024. Disbelief: The Origins of Atheism in a Religious Species. Rowman & Littlefield.

  2. 5d ago

    S01E53 - Institutionalising Non-religion? Locating Non/Religion in a Welsh Primary School

    This research explores how non-religion is institutionalised within a South Welsh primary school, a region notable for its high concentration of individuals identifying as "religious nones." Using the conceptual lens of the infrasecular, the authors illustrate how secularized Christian residues persist in school rituals and assemblies even as explicit religious instruction and worship have largely vanished. While children often lack basic religious literacy, staff and parents frequently display a nostalgic connection to Christian cultural forms, viewing them as a "detheologised" heritage rather than active faith. The study finds that a strong sense of Welsh national identity has largely replaced religion as the primary source of collective belonging and sacred values within the school. Furthermore, despite official policies promoting inclusion, the school struggles to practically accommodate religious diversity, often treating minority beliefs as complications to the established secular-Christian norm. Ultimately, the authors argue that educational institutions serve as critical sites where religious and non-religious cultures overlap and compete, shaping the worldviews of the next generation. Citation: Malone, Joanna, Anna Strhan, Peter Hemming, and Sarah Neal. 2026. “Institutionalising Non-Religion? Locating Non/Religion in a Welsh Primary School.” Sociological Research Online 13607804261460547. doi:10.1177/13607804261460547.

  3. Sep 6

    S01E52 - Faith, Practice, and Wealth: A Dual-Path Well-Being Analysis

    This study introduces a dual-path effect hypothesis to explain how different aspects of religion interact with wealth to influence a person’s subjective well-being. Using decades of global data, the researchers distinguish between religious faith, which offers internal meaning, and religious practice, which provides external social advantages. The findings reveal that while both boost happiness, the benefits of attending religious services diminish as individual income or national GDP increases. In contrast, the positive impact of personal belief remains constant regardless of economic status because money cannot easily replace the spiritual purpose faith provides. Ultimately, the research suggests that financial resources serve as a substitute for the social capital gained through religious activities, but not for the psychological comfort of deep-seated conviction. Zheng X, Song M and Chen H (2020) Could Wealth Make Religiosity Less Needed for Subjective Well-Being? A Dual-Path Effect Hypothesis of Religious Faith Versus Practice. Front. Psychol. 11:1636. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01636

  4. Sep 2

    S01E51 - Conceptualising Identity Transformations of the Apostate Refugee through Un/Learning

    This podcast episode, based on Lucy Elizabeth Potter's 2026 article "Conceptualising Identity Transformations of the Apostate Refugee through Un/Learning," explores the non-linear, deeply precarious journeys of ex-Muslim asylum seekers in the United Kingdom. Breaking away from traditional, linear deconversion models, the discussion introduces the "un/learning" framework, which illustrates how leaving religion is an iterative, socio-spatial process involving the simultaneous renegotiation of learned religious socialization, the active unlearning of dogmatic norms, and the gradual learning of new non-religious ways of being. The episode highlights how the physical safety of the UK, coupled with access to uncensored digital spaces, humor, and music, serves as a vital catalyst for self-driven critical study and identity exploration. Crucially, the podcast unpacks the distinct gendered dimensions of this transformation, contrasting women's embodied reclaiming of autonomy (such as removing the hijab) with men's renegotiation of traditional familial authority and the heavy pressure to enter arranged marriages. Finally, it addresses the intense bureaucratic pressures of the UK asylum system, where apostate refugees must perform a fixed, coherent, and highly credible non-religious identity, rendering their complex, gradual doubts legible to immigration officials to secure legal protection

  5. Aug 30

    S01E50 - Seeing Through the Lens of Atheism: Plural Societies, Religion, and Harmony Ideology in Southeast Asia

    This podcast episode, based on Timo Duile and Prince Kennex Aldama's 2024 article "Seeing Through the Lens of Atheism: Plural Societies, Religion, and Harmony Ideology in Southeast Asia," examines how maritime Southeast Asian nations utilize "the religious" as a vital benchmark for national identity and social cohesion. The discussion explores how atheism—as the explicit negation of belief—reveals the boundary lines of these "harmony states" across three distinct political landscapes: Indonesia, a religious harmony state where public atheism is heavily restricted only if it actively attacks or provokes religious sentiments; Malaysia, an Islamic-religious harmony state where the mere public visibility of atheist groups triggers intense political and moral outrage, especially when ethnic Malays are involved; and the Philippines, a pseudo-secular harmony state where traditional Catholic dominance and indigenous values like kapwa (shared identity) and pagkakaisa (oneness) frame atheists as outsiders to social alignment despite a longer history of organized freethought. Listeners will discover how these societies reject non-belief in structurally different ways to protect their delicate post-plural consensus, demonstrating that public atheism in this region is treated not just as a private theological stance, but as a direct challenge to the ideological foundation of the state itself. Duile, Timo, and Prince Kennex Aldama. 2024. "Seeing through the lens of atheism: Plural societies, religion, and harmony ideology in Southeast Asia." Secularism and Nonreligion 13.1:4-4.

  6. Aug 26

    S01E49 - Navigating (De)Conversion While Maintaining Social Relations Across Different Religions in Flanders (Belgium)

    This academic research article investigates how individuals in Flanders, Belgium, manage their social relationships during the process of changing or leaving their religious faith. By analyzing interviews with 43 participants from Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and secular backgrounds, the authors explore how (de)converts use strategic communication to anticipate or mitigate negative reactions from family and friends. Many participants reported selective sharing or leading "double lives" to preserve harmony, particularly within closed communities or families where religion and cultural identity are deeply intertwined. The study reveals that societal stigmas significantly influence these transitions, as those moving toward Islam often face fears of radicalization while those converting to Christianity encounter secular indifference or mockery. Ultimately, the text highlights that religious mobility is not just a private shift in belief but a complex negotiation of social belonging and external expectations. Lore Van Praag, Kaya Klaver, Gert Verschraegen, Patrick Loobuyck, Navigating (De)Conversion While Maintaining Social Relations Across Different Religions in Flanders (Belgium), Sociology of Religion, Volume 87, Issue 2, Summer 2026, Pages 268–291, https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srae043

  7. Aug 23

    S01E48 - Symbolic Pollution and Religious Change: The Religious Imaginary of Anglo-Canadian Spiritual but Not Religious Millennials

    This academic article explores why Anglo-Canadian Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from organized faith in favor of being "spiritual but not religious." The authors argue that the concept of religion has undergone symbolic pollution, becoming a "branded" term associated with negative traits rather than sacred values. Through extensive interviews and ethnographic research, the study identifies four primary discourses that frame religion as anti-modern, conservative, American, and colonial. The researchers trace these perceptions back to pivotal historical shifts, including the expressive revolution of the 1960s and the cultural trauma of the Indigenous residential school system. Ultimately, the text suggests that religious decline in Canada is driven by a shifting religious imaginary where identifying as non-religious aligns with modern, liberal, and multicultural identities. Consistent with this view, the "spiritual" label allows individuals to maintain personal meaning while rejecting the perceived moral failures of traditional institutions. Citation: Watts, Galen, and Sam Reimer. 2026. “Symbolic Pollution and Religious Change: The Religious Imaginary of Anglo-Canadian Spiritual but Not Religious Millennials.” Sociology of Religion 87(1):1–29. doi:10.1093/socrel/srae012.

  8. Aug 19

    S01E47 - Divine Purpose? Religion, Race, and Attitudes Toward Life Extension Technology

    This study investigates how race and religion intersect to influence American attitudes toward life extension technologies. While traditional research suggests that religiosity typically reduces interest in medical life extension, these authors find that the relationship varies significantly by racial identity. For White Americans, high religiosity correlates with a decreased desire for longer life, yet for Black Americans, increased faith actually leads to a higher interest in radical life extension. The research further highlights that Black and Hispanic individuals are more likely to seek longer lives for other-oriented reasons, such as fulfilling a divine purpose or serving their community. Ultimately, the sources argue that marginalized groups may view advanced biotechnology as a tool for spiritual fulfillment and collective liberation rather than a violation of natural order. Citation: Frost, Jacqui, Rachel C. Schneider, Andrea K. Henderson, and Elaine Howard Ecklund. 2026. “Divine Purpose? Religion, Race, and Attitudes Toward Life Extension Technology.” Sociology of Religion 87(1):30–54. doi:10.1093/socrel/srae023.

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About

Non+Religion Research Brief is a podcast featuring short discussions of peer-reviewed social science research on nonreligion and religion. Typical episodes offer five-minute summaries of journal articles. Occasionally, longer episodes will take a deeper look at especially important studies. Episodes are AI-generated, curated editorially, and designed to help listeners keep up with research across disciplines. All episodes encourage engagement with the original scholarship and are not a substitute for reading the full publications.

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