Non-religiosity, Secularism, and Civil Society

Understanding the secular population requires differentiating between people who are not religious (defined by what they are not) and those who are secular (defined by what they are). Non-religiosity is measured as the absence of the usual markers of religiosity—no religious affiliation, no religious attendance, and so on. Secularism is defined with new measures that reflect whether someone has a secular identity, receives guidance from secular sources, and has a secular worldview. Distinguishing between nonreligious and secular Americans reveals that they have very different levels of civic engagement. The former are civically disengaged, while the latter are often engaged in civic activity. Since both religionists and secularists share a high level of participation in civil society, it suggests the possibility of building bridges between them. But making such social connections will require conscious effort to overcome mutual suspicion.