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Grace without God : the search for meaning, purpose, and belonging in a secular age / Katherine Ozment.

by Ozment, Katherine.

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Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins, [2016]

Spiritual life.

United States -- Religion.

9780062305114 (hc.)

300 pages ; 24 cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"We're nothing" -- Losing it. Losing my religion ; How did we get here? ; Religion tries to stay relevant -- Good-bye to all that. The big picture ; Moral authority ; Religious literacy ; A sense of belonging -- The path forward. Morality without a map ; Do-it-yourself religion ; Almost church ; Ritual without religion ; Facing the big unknown ; The wonder of the natural world ; The God of here and now -- Make your own Sunday -- A letter to my children.

A quest to understand the trends and ramifications of a nation in flight from organized religion. Studies show that religion makes us happier, healthier and more giving, connecting us to our past and creating tight communal bonds. Most Americans are raised in a religious tradition, but in recent decades many have begun to leave religion, and with it their ancient rituals, mythic narratives, and sense of belonging. So how do the nonreligious fill the need for ritual, story, community, and, above all, purpose and meaning without the one-stop shop of religion? What do they do with the space left after religion? With Nones (those with no religious affiliation) swelling to one-fourth of American adults, and more than one-third of those under thirty, these questions have never been more urgent. Secular mother of three Katherine Ozment came face-to-face with the fundamental issue of the Nones when her son asked her the simplest of questions: "what are we?" Unsettled by her reply - "Nothing" - she set out on a journey to find a better answer. She traversed the frontier of American secular life, sought guidance in science and the humanities, talked with noted scholars, and wrestled with her own family's attempts to find meaning and connection after religion.

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