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
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teemutaira.bsky.social
"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
teemutaira.bsky.social
A selection of Bloomsbury honorarium books. Finally here.
teemutaira.bsky.social
Proofing. This should be out later this year or early next year. See: www.routledge.com/The-Routledg...
teemutaira.bsky.social
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).
teemutaira.bsky.social
Is this the only monograph on religion and prog rock?
Reposted by Teemu Taira
conradhackett.bsky.social
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.
teemutaira.bsky.social
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.
teemutaira.bsky.social
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.
teemutaira.bsky.social
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).
teemutaira.bsky.social
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
teemutaira.bsky.social
IAHR 2025 in Krakow ready to begin
Reposted by Teemu Taira
conradhackett.bsky.social
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...
teemutaira.bsky.social
I guess that it is ok to show the cover suggestion for the forthcoming volume I edited
Reposted by Teemu Taira
jacobtlevy.bsky.social
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
teemutaira.bsky.social
You can always drop a line to the editors in advance, although that is not a requirement.
teemutaira.bsky.social
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
teemutaira.bsky.social
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).
teemutaira.bsky.social
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).
teemutaira.bsky.social
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