Atheist Study

Atheist Alliance of America has been asked to help pubicize an academic study now being launched by Prof. Jerome Baggett and to give our members and friends an opportunity to participate.  We are not otherwise involved in the study, beyond alerting you to this invitation.  You can learn more about Dr. Baggett here.

 

Nick Lee
President
 

Invitation to Participate:

 

My name is Jerome Baggett.  I’m a sociologist and professor at Santa Clara University (working in the graduate school in Theology and Religious Studies) who is in the early stages of a study of atheists (and other non-religious people) in the United States.  Essentially, I’m investigating how atheists think about the world around them and go about the business of living their everyday lives. 

 

As you likely know, there are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions about atheists, whereas I want to get beyond those and listen to what atheists themselves say about their lives.  That’s why I’m looking for people to interview about this. 

 

These interviews only take about an hour; they can be done by phone or in person (even online in some cases); and people tend to enjoy the experience of being interviewed very much.  I also ask people to take about five minutes to fill out a survey (comprised of questions also appearing in national surveys), and both the interview and survey are strictly confidential. 

 

Ultimately, I’m planning to write what I hope (and expect) will be a thoughtful, unbiased book on how people live their lives as atheists in the U.S. that will be published by a reputable press.  My hope is this will find a broad readership and begin a more nuanced national conversation about people who identify in more secular terms within contemporary society. 

 

If you’re interested in being interviewed for this project or simply want to find out more about it, please feel free to contact me by e-mail (jbaggett@jstb.edu).  Thanks for your consideration. 

 

Jerome P. Baggett

Professor of Religion and Society

Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University

1735 LeRoy Avenue

Berkeley, CA  94709

(510) 549-5060

jbaggett@jstb.edu