Religion & Obsolescence
This episode features a special preview conversation about Christian Smith’s forthcoming book, Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America (Oxford University Press, 2025). Christian Smith, William R. Kenan Professor of Sociology at University of Notre Dame, has been a leading scholar of American religion for more than 30 years with many agenda-setting concepts, arguments, and books to his name. Based on a new survey and hundreds of interviews, Smith offers a sweeping account of why many Americans have lost faith in traditional religion and why it can be considered “obsolete.” Our conversation will address the book’s main themes and findings, probe Smith’s thinking about religion, secularism, and enchantment, and engage the many implications of the trends Smith outlines. Join us for a conversation that is sure to be provocative and illuminating and that will stay with you.
Host: Brian Steensland (Indiana University Indianapolis)
Panelist: Christian Smith (University of Notre Dame)
Panelist: Carol Ann MacGregor (St. Jerome’s University)
Link to Resource