Lead story
Correction to Spiritual But Not Religious
Deborah Redman
Volume 28 Issue 4, 5 & 6 | Posted: June 30, 2014
In the last issue of ICN, I wrote that Siobhan Chandler who has her Ph.D in the rising SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) phenomenon, had stated in her thesis, The Social Ethic of Religiously Unaffiliated Spirituality that over 50% of Canadians would identify themselves as SBNR. That statistic is incorrect, but rather “over 50% of Canadians with some religious involvement are SBNRs.”
In the last issue of ICN, I wrote that Siobhan Chandler who has her Ph.D in the rising SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) phenomenon, had stated in her thesis, The Social Ethic of Religiously Unaffiliated Spirituality that over 50% of Canadians would identify themselves as SBNR. That statistic is incorrect, but rather “over 50% of Canadians with some religious involvement are SBNRs.”
I should add that it is difficult to define and pin down numbers of SBNRs in Canada as age and geographical regions are factors, as well as who are the targeted samples. For instance the percentage of SBNRs in the Canadian Christian landscape plus Canadian atheists and agnostics is 51% (Grenville typology). Reginald Bibby’s assessment is similar. Also, in “Occupy Spirituality” by Buckle/Fox, it states that 75% of Americans between the ages of 18-29 now consider themselves SBNR! I would hazard to guess that figure would be similar or even higher in the Canadian young adult population. It is generally agreed too that the numbers of SBNRs are statistically higher in the Cascadia region of Canada and the US. (Douglas Todd)
No matter how one looks at the data, you cannot overlook the fact that the percentage of those people who would identify themselves as SBNRs, whether or not they are presently affiliated with a faith community, is extraordinarily significant.
Deborah Redman