ebooks Buddhist Poetry and Colonialism: Alagiyavanna and the Portuguese in Sri Lanka by Stephen C. Berkwitz in History

Description

Surveys over the last twenty years have seen an ever-growing number of Americans disclaim religious affiliations and instead check the "none" box. In the first sociological exploration of organized secularism in America; Richard Cimino and Christopher Smith show how one segment of these "nones" have created a new; cohesive atheist identity through activism and the creation of communities. According to Cimino and Smith; the new upsurge of atheists is a reaction to the revival of religious fervor in American politics since 1980. Feeling overlooked and underrepresented in the public sphere; atheists have employed a wide variety of strategies-some evangelical; some based on identity politics-to defend and assert themselves against their ideological opponents. These strategies include building and maintaining communities; despite the absence of the kinds of shared rituals; texts; and laws that help to sustain organized religions.Drawing on in-depth interviews with self-identified atheist; secularist; and humanist leaders and activists; as well as extensive observations and analysis of secular gatherings and media; Cimino and Smith illustrate how atheists organize and align themselves toward common goals; and how media-particularly web-based media-have proven invaluable in connecting atheists to one another and in creating a powerful virtual community. Cimino and Smith suggest that secularists rely not only on the Internet for community-building; but on their own new forms of ritual.This groundbreaking study will be essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the growing atheist movement in America.