Losing Religion with Diana Butler Bass

Something strange has happened to American religion. More people are checking “none” when asked about religious affiliation—but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve stopped believing in God, looking for meaning, or longing for community. Historian Diana Butler Bass helps us understand how we got here. Kate and Diana trace the transformation of American evangelicalism from Jimmy Carter to the Religious Right, why Christianity became increasingly entangled with political identity, and what happens when people leave religious institutions but still find themselves reaching for something sacred. Perhaps losing a religious label isn’t always the same thing as losing faith. And perhaps the question isn’t only why people left—but what they’re still hungry for. Show Notes:  Learn more about Diana Butler Bass Subscribe to Diana’s newsletter, The Cottage Explore Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape Study Learn more about America’s religiously unaffiliated (“nones”) Explore the data on spirituality and religious identity Join Kate on Substack