Spiritual, But Not Religious: Understanding Unchurched America

by Robert C. Fuller

Book Overview

Nearly 40% of all Americans have no connection with organized religion. Yet many of these people, even though they might never step inside a house of worship, live profoundly spiritual lives. But what is the nature and value of unchurched spirituality in America? Is it a recent phenomenon, a New Age fad that will soon fade, or a long-standing and essential aspect of the American experience?
In Spiritual But Not Religious, Robert Fuller offers...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195146808
• ISBN13: 9780195146806
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

I couldn't put it down!

It may be difficult to believe that "I couldn't put it down" would be a description for a reader's reaction to a book of this genre, but it certainly was mine! I even found myself flipping to the references every page to something. I read it for personal interest, but started taking notes for better retention, and ended up with almost 20 pages of notes. I will read it again, and probably also buy other books by Mr. Fuller on this subject. Bravo!

A Primer in Understanding the Spiritual, but Not Religious.

Robert C. Fuller, a professor of Religious Studies, says "The United States is arguably the most religious nation on earth." He offers a myriad of statistics to cement the aforementioned notion. The meticulously researched book focuses on about 20% of the American population who are "Spiritual, but not Religious." Fuller states his purpose "is to explore the history and present status of unchurched religion in the United States." Fuller delves headlong into the Herculean task by elucidating the late 1600s and forward into the 21st century. Our modern times are exposed in the humorously titled chapter, "Barnes and Noble as Synagogue." An enormous amount of information is disseminated. At times it feels like one is reading a textbook for a religion class. However, a history of the seeker is clearly expounded. William James (1842-1910), the "highbrow intellectual," personifies the seeker. He receives the most coverage, but Fuller covers numerous individuals and topics efficiently, e.g., mesmerism, Edgar Cayce, New Age movement and Swedenborgianism. Fuller explains why spiritualism is appealing to those who "decided that existing churches were both emotionally and intellectually stifling." This book is only a start for anyone who wants to truly understand the emerging complex group labeled, "Spiritual, but not Religious." Nonetheless, a thorough, historical overview of unchurched America is presented. Bohdan Kot

"American Spiritual Metaphysics" - a historical primer

Robert Fuller's volume on being "Spiritual, but not Religious" should really be called 'Towards a History of American Spiritual Metaphysics.' Writing for an informed but not always scholarly audience, Fuller's book is a work of synthesis. By its own admission it adds nothing substantial to the specific phenomena discussed, but performs a much more valuable function. For what is perhaps the first time, a religious historian has done for American Metaphysics and Spirituality what Jocelyn Godwin did for English-speaking esoteric world (in "The Theosophical Enlightenment.") Fuller traces the beginnings of unchurched spirituality, and brings to a more popular light what early American religion scholars have known for some time, that despite much hot air to the contrary, early America had a very low church attendance, down to 1/6th of the population around the Revolutionary War. Instead, non-ecclesial forms of spirituality and religious magic, the heritage of Elizabethan occultism, filled much of the practical religious void left by a distant, judgmental Calvinist god. But even at this early stage, Fuller (citing Perry Miller) uncovers that there is a link to immanence and pantheism found even as early as Jonathan Edwards, and finding fruition in a series of religious awakenings, in the early 1800's, after the Civil War through the early part of the 20th century, and in the years from 1960-1975. We see American Swedenborgianism, Transcendentalism, Mesmerism, and Spiritualism linked in a history of religious themes and impulses. We even see both the well-known technical side of Spiritualism, and the lesser known but just-as-vital speculative side, with the writings of Andrew Jackson Davis. Connecting these impulses to the development of Emersonian pantheism, Theosophical esotericism, and the development of Humanistic Psychology in William James, Ken Wilbur, and Carl Rogers, we begin to get a sense of the multi-threaded history of non-ecclesial religion that has grown up alongside more widely acknowledged institutions. If there is a weakness to Fuller's work it is that the writing is at times not consistent, and well-made points are sometimes re-emphasized redundantly across chapters. As well, the contributions of Amerindian and African/African-American spirituality are mostly absent, although receiving occasional nods. But overall, this pioneering effort deserves high marks for its (extremely overdue) daringness to discuss contemporary Paganism and Goddess worship in the same vein and impulse as Ralph Waldo Emerson's forays, and James' emphasis on personal experience. The price and effort of the volume alone are rewarded by a single chapter, which attempts to draw cross-era generalities between these metaphysical non-ecclesial forms of religion. And for Fuller's concise and consistent rebuke of Robert Wuthnow's, Sydney Ahlstrom's, and Robert Bellah's heavy-handed and opportunistic criticisms of this ongoing, vital, and enduring tradition, he earns pra

Very interesting

Fuller provides readers with a fascinating survey of spiritual movements through American history that took place largely beyond the pale of "organized religion." He presents a convincing case that the spiritual seeking and experiementation that we see in our own day is nothing new. Particular attention is given to common themes such as the pantheism and other Eastern influences, mesmerism and other psycological experiences, and individualism. Fuller clearly has a point of view that will irk Christian readers - he certainly seems to applaud spirituality divorced from orthodox Christianity. But Christians who want to seriously engage their culture will find this book terribly interesting. We should be challenged to remember that our own faith should not be conventional and enslaved to the culture, but should be counter-cultural, life-changing, and authentic. Perhaps those who know Christ and have the SPirit within them should be more often characterized as spiritual but not religious.

An excellent resource

This book is an excellent resource for congregations reaching out to a wider community than their own worship community. Often it provides more questions than answers, but the book forces the reader to analyze how her or his congregation is responding to the needs of the 40% of Americans who have no connection with organized religion.The author provides a comprehensive history of alternative spiritual practices, which many of us believe erroneously are newto our society. For those of us who find our spirituality based in community worship, this book provides thought-provoking challenges to our beliefs while also providing insights into how people reach a mature level of spirituality outside conventional religions. I read the introduction and first chapter, "The Emergence of Unchurched Traditions," in order, and then chapter subtitles such as,"The New Ecclecticism in American Religion," and "Psychological Spirituality," piqued my interest, and I skipped around in the book for further reading. I borrowed the book from a friend, but then I ordered my own copy so I could highlight sections and make notes on pages. I recommend this book to anyone looking for ways to broaden their own spirituality and understanding of how and why people pursue a particular style of spirituality. I also recommend it to members of congregations who have a strong spirit of reaching out in unconventional ways to the larger community--possibly even to the unchurched.