Spiritual Resurgence: The “Spiritual but Not Religious” in the Information Age Author-Meets-Critics Panel

The growing number of Americans who identify as “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) has become a central focus in the social-scientific study of religion. Terry Shoemaker’s Spiritual Resurgence: Cultural Transformations and the Spiritual but Not Religious situates this development within the broader transformations of the Information Age. Shoemaker argues that information overload, ideological polarization, and the entanglement of religion with political and economic institutions have contributed to widespread disillusionment with organized religion while enabling new forms of individualized spirituality. This Author-Meets-Critics panel brings together scholars of contemporary spirituality and religious change to critically engage Shoemaker’s analysis. Panelists will explore how digital media, shifting institutional authority, and evolving cultural norms are reshaping spiritual identities and practices, inviting broader discussion about how scholars conceptualize spirituality and religious change in contemporary society.