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Teemu Taira

@teemutaira.bsky.social

550 followers 400 following 140 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 · 9d

"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 · 10d

A selection of Bloomsbury honorarium books. Finally here.

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Reposted by James A. Benn

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 14d

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

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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 27d

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

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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · 28d

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).

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Reposted by James A. Benn

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Sep 7

Is this the only monograph on religion and prog rock?

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 21

I guess that it is ok to show the cover suggestion for the forthcoming volume I edited

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 14

You can always drop a line to the editors in advance, although that is not a requirement.

Reposted by Peter Thorne, Mark D. White, Emily Grubert , and 7 more Peter Thorne, Mark D. White, Emily Grubert, Ingrid Robeyns, Samantha Brennan, Jason Lyall, Naazneen H. Barma, Brooke Harrington, Kate Jackson, Teemu Taira

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · Aug 14

Oh good. We've reached the "I don't have to be faster than the bear, I only have to be less woke than you" stage of faculty solidarity. archive.is/wGNDr

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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 12

This is a great resource for people interested in atheism/nonreligion. There are also some nice words about my edited volume "Atheism in Five Minutes" (from 23 min onwards). www.youtube.com/watch?v=peTq...

100 Years of Secular Studies: What Science Says About the Nonreligious

YouTube video by Religiolog

www.youtube.com

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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 9

Sure. It is in the Bible as well. And because the phrase has been used extensively in popular culture, it prompts different associations. As one of the contributors of the volume, I can say that I didn't give the volume title any thought in my article (and I wasn't asked to).

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 8

Secularisation scholars pay attention to three levels, roughly: societal, organisational and individual. Your example touches on societal and organisational levels, Bullivant's writing and the discourse on British revival is primarily on individual level (attendance, beliefs and practices).

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 8

The discussion on British religious revival continues. This by Stephen Bullivant. firstthings.com/just-how-big...

Just How Big Is Britain’s Religious Revival? - First Things

A few months ago, the Bible Society released a new report on Christianity in England and Wales. Titled The Quiet Revival, its reception has been anything but, and for...

firstthings.com

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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 8

Not sure, but I assume that the editors were thinking more of this (thought the intention is not everything that matters) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_of...

Sign of the times (Catholic Church) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 7

"God and Technology" (2025) by Heidi Campbell is available for free online until 20th August. www.cambridge.org/core/element...

God and Technology

Cambridge Core - Philosophy of Religion - God and Technology

www.cambridge.org

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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 6

Still always excited about the arrival of contributor copy.

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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 5

CFP special issue on "Atheism and Nonreligion in Media and Popular Culture" (I'm one of the editors, please consider submitting) jrfm.eu/index.php/oj...

Calls for Papers | Journal for Religion, Film and Media (JRFM)

jrfm.eu

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Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 5

Eight books that explain the university crisis, primarily in the United States. www.theatlantic.com/books/archiv...

Eight Books That Explain the University Crisis

Now is the perfect time to look with clear eyes at the goals, accomplishments, and failures of higher education.

www.theatlantic.com

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 5

New issue of Nordicom Review focuses on media and democracy. There's one article on religion, media and democracy and several useful scoping reviews. Open access. sciendo.com/issue/NOR/46...

Nordicom Review

Volume 46 (2025): Issue s1 (May 2025)

sciendo.com

Teemu Taira @teemutaira.bsky.social · Aug 4

This new open access volume might be relevant for scholars of religion and media technologies. link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

Redefining Spiritual Spaces in the Age of Technology

This open access book explores the intersection of spirituality and technology and its applications to management, strategy, and leadership

link.springer.com