Ara Norenzayan (University of British Columbia)

Ara Norenzayan is professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia.

Vendredi 3 juin 2016 de 11h30 à 13h - Institut Nicod, Pavillon Jardin, ENS, 29, rue d'Ulm 75005 Paris, Salle de réunion, RDC.

"Why So Devout? Untangling the Puzzle of American Religious Fervour"

Abstract:

Why is America a religious outlier, an anomaly to the powerful secularization trend that has transformed the rest of the club of wealthy democracies? I will discuss and evaluate, against the evidence, several theories of this anomaly: exaggerated reporting, founder effects, religious immigrants, free religious markets, and existential insecurity. I argue that of these five explanations, only two are reasonably well-supported by the available evidence. I conclude with a discussion of the current and expected future trends of religiosity in America in the context of the world.