Teemu Taira

@teemutaira.bsky.social

550 followers 400 following 150 posts

Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion. Researching public discourses on religion; atheism and nonreligion; religion and news media; methodology. Author of Taking "Religion" Seriously (2022) and other books.

https://teemutaira.wordpress.com .. more

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Philosophy 31%

Political science 27%

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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 1d

Just putting this here, 'cos the story contains links to several relevant surveys regarding atheism and nonreligion dallasexpress.com/lifestyle/su...

Multiple studies in 2025 show that Atheism is on the rise around the world

A collection of major reports and studies published throughout 2025 shows that Atheism is rapidly increasing in popularity around the world.

dallasexpress.com

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 6d

Just got an email saying that The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics in Europe (eds by Fokas & Giorgi) has been published. 31 chapters, one of them cowritten by me. www.routledge.com/The-Routledg...

The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics in Europe

The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics in Europe is an outstanding reference source to this engaging subject area. A number of developments at the intersection between religion and politics i...

www.routledge.com

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 9d

to be published here www.bloomsbury.com/uk/practical...

A Practical Guide to Critical Religion

This book makes critical theory on religion more accessible to both undergraduates and skeptics, showcasing its practical relevance and usefulness to research a…

www.bloomsbury.com

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 9d

New day and a new piece for proofreading. Here's how this chapter begins ("Religionization of Minorities and Culturalization of Christianity: How to Study Boundary-Cases?").

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 11d

Kind of. Although this anecdote is not about me and my work in the end. It continues from here and it is about Russell McCutcheon (as is the volume in which the piece will be published).

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 11d

It is going to be published here equinoxreligionlibrary.com/projects/pol...

The Politics of Classification | Equinox Publishing

<i>Forthcoming, 2025</i><br><br> This collection brings together an international team of scholars to assess and think with the work of Russell T. McCutcheon. Though McCutcheon is often accused of bri...

equinoxreligionlibrary.com

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 11d

Proofreading. This chapter begins with an anecdote.

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 16d

Not really, as far as I can tell. I think that it is more a combination of respect (it is disrespectful to explain one's experiences by something else) and the "location" of religion (the core or essence of religion is in the experiences á la William James and Protestant traditition).

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 17d

That can be a factor, but we teach social scientific approaches from the day one, so I tend to think that the issue here is how people learn to think about religion before they go to the university. It takes time to "unlearn".

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 17d

Most UG students think that the point of study of religion is to examine deep individual experiences. They think that the danger of theories & methods is that we'll be distanced from such experiences. After graduation, some will think differently. But only some.

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 20d

Food for thought for those interested in the (institutional) future(s) of the study of religion. An interview based on Russell T. McCutcheon's "Our Primary Expertise". newbooksnetwork.com/our-primary-...

Russell T. McCutcheon, "Our Primary Expertise: A Future for the Study of Religion" (Rutgers UP, 2025) - New Books Network

newbooksnetwork.com

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 27d

Another way of saying, "we are closing programmes and probably sacking some scholars".

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 27d

Lancaster Uni rhetoric sounds fake to me: "To ensure our Gold-standard teaching develops with the needs of our students, we constantly review [..] our curriculum [..]. As part of this ongoing review, our Global Religions BA courses will not be running in 2026." www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/underg...

Global Religions courses update - Lancaster University

www.lancaster.ac.uk

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Oct 20

Some recently bought books. Started reading "Disbelief" (2024) by Gervais and now there's a number of commentaries and response in "Religion, Brain and Behavior". I should be doing something else, but this is quite fun. www.tandfonline.com/toc/rrbb20/0/0

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Oct 1

"I do indeed think that the old work remains relevant today but, sadly so, since it signals that not much has changed in all of these years." – Russell T. McCutcheon reflects working on Manufacturing Religion (1997), second edition coming out soon. www.american-religion.org/back-pages/a...

Against the Wind — American Religion

McCutcheon on Manufacturing Religion (2003)

www.american-religion.org

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Sep 30

A selection of Bloomsbury honorarium books. Finally here.

Reposted by James A. Benn

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Sep 25

Proofing. This should be out later this year or early next year. See: www.routledge.com/The-Routledg...

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Sep 13

The witch-hunt continues www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

UC Berkeley shares 160 names with Trump administration in ‘McCarthy era’ move

Prominent professor Judith Butler among students and faculty investigated for ‘alleged antisemitic incidents’

www.theguardian.com

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Sep 12

Now reading this. Traditionalism is "not a mass ideology", but if you look at the world today, many ideas that comprise so-called traditionalism definitely are quite common (more and less harmful forms).

Reposted by James A. Benn

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Sep 7

Is this the only monograph on religion and prog rock?

Reposted by Teemu Taira

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · Sep 6

A secular transition is happening in countries around the world. Detailed explanation🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Many Muslim-majority countries, Hindu-majority India in early stage. Countries with large Buddhist & Christian populations in later stages.
Blog: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

The authors write that religion generally declines between generations in three steps:

People participate in worship services less often.
The importance of religion declines in their personal lives.
Belonging to religion becomes less common.
They call this the Participation-Importance-Belonging (P-I-B) sequence. In this sequence, generations first shed aspects of religion that require more time and resources. People are slower to shed religious identity, which is not necessarily as burdensome.

In the early stage of secular transition, generations differ primarily in their religious participation. In some countries that remain highly religious today, recent surveys show that each country’s share of adults under age 40 who frequently attend religious services has dropped below the share of older adults who do so.
Many African countries are currently in this early stage. For example, in Senegal, 78% of older adults attend worship services weekly, but younger adults are 14 percentage points less likely to do so. Yet almost all adults in Senegal – both young and old – still identify as Muslims and consider religion very important in their lives.

In the medium stage of secular transition, generations differ in their religious participation, importance and belonging. In countries that are moderately religious, all three steps in the P-I-B sequence are visible in recent surveys. Adults under 40 attend services less frequently than their elders, are less likely to say religion is important in their lives and are less likely to identify with any religion. This is the case currently in the U.S., along with many other countries in the Americas and Asia.

In the late stage of secular transition, generations differ primarily in religious belonging. The authors contend that this is because the first two steps have been completed. The shares of older adults who attend services and who consider religion important in their lives have already dropped to low levels, similar to those of younger adults. In the least religious countries today, the main difference between age groups is that younger adults are less likely to identify with any religion.

Many countries in Europe have reached this stage. For example, in Denmark, 79% of older adults remain religiously affiliated, but adults under 40 are 26 points less likely to say they belong to any religion. Attendance at religious services and self-assessments of the importance of religion are low among people of all ages.

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Sep 5

Many religious “nones,” which include atheists and agnostics, in 22 countries hold religious or spiritual beliefs, such as in an afterlife or something beyond the natural world. pewrsr.ch/3UNSxGf

Many Religious ‘Nones’ Around the World Hold Spiritual Beliefs

Many religious “nones,” which include atheists and agnostics, in 22 countries hold religious or spiritual beliefs, such as in an afterlife or something beyond the natural world.

pewrsr.ch

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Sep 3

Excellent interview by Russell T. McCutcheon on the academic study of religion. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibL...

Russell T. McCutcheon | Rethinking the Study of Religion: Objectivity, Method, and Theory

YouTube video by Inekas | انعکاس

www.youtube.com

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Sep 2

The 2025 Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network Conference in Bratislava takes place 8-10 September. All panels will be available to listen to virtually through Teams. See the link for more info. thensrn.org/2025-nonreli...

2025 Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network Conference

Nonreligion and Secularity at Cultural Crossroads 8-10 September 2025 Venue: Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ilkovicova 6, Bratislava, Conference Book of Abstracts c…

thensrn.org

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 28

A stack of books I bought from the IAHR 2025 conference. There are still three days to go, but, regarding shopping, my luggage is showing its limitations.

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 27

Done with both rather experimental panels in IAHR 2025. In the first we watched a short film and then discussed. In the second we talked how and in what contexts our approach is seen as an irritant.

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 25

Things to do in conferences part 2: buy display copies. I bought five already. Here's my edited volume available too at a reduced price (Atheism in Five Minutes).

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 25

Things to do in conferences: meet the person who has translated your article (in Italian) (without you knowing that the piece is available in Italian). I'm talking about "After World Religions" (2016) that contains my contribution. www.morcelliana.net/collane-morc...

Oltre le religioni mondiali | Cotter Robertson | Morcelliana

Il volume fornisce elementi per ripensare il modo di concepire e insegnare le religioni non più come fenomeni distinti, andando oltre i Religious Studies

www.morcelliana.net

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 24

IAHR 2025 in Krakow ready to begin

Reposted by Teemu Taira

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · Aug 24

In secularizing countries:
1. Younger adults are less religious than older adults.
2. The religiosity gap between young men and women may be shrinking.

However, I recommend skepticism regarding claims of broad religious revival among young men.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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