One year ago, ReligionLink explored stories to follow in 2018, highlighting the potential for major developments related to the #metoo movement, religious freedom and Israeli politics. Many of these suggestions did turn out to matter quite a bit, as did a few issues that weren’t mentioned, like the cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and gun violence in sacred spaces.

What will 2019 bring? Some ongoing debates, like how to balance protections for conservative religious and LGBT Americans at the same time, show no sign of slowing down. Catholic leaders will continue to struggle with lawsuits and church members’ pain and anger. Faith groups will keep fighting the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

New or lesser-known issues will also demand coverage. Lists from Religion News Service and the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California predict significant movement in debates over married Catholic priests, climate change and masculinity.

In this edition of ReligionLink, learn about three more emerging issues to watch in 2019 and the people who can help you cover them.

1. The rise of 'Religion: all'

Washington Post reporter Julie Zauzmer contributed a faith-themed item to her paper’s annual In/Out List. She predicted that, in 2019, religious “nones” will be replaced with religious “all of the aboves.”

Many religion researchers and commentators support this conclusion, arguing that we’ve mischaracterized people who’ve stepped away from traditional religious practices. Rather than avoiding faith, members of this group may actually lead very spiritual lives.

This year, look for opportunities to write about unique blends of religious and spiritual practices as you continue to follow the decline of organized religion.

Related readings

• Read “Why we should stop using the term religious ‘nones’” from Religion News Service on Dec. 13, 2018.
• Read “Why millennials are ditching religion for witchcraft and astrology” from MarketWatch on Oct. 31, 2018.
• Read “The US witch population has seen an astronomical rise” from Quartz on Oct. 4, 2018.
• Read “The Religious Typology: A new way to categorize Americans by religion” from Pew Research Center on Aug. 29, 2018.
• Read “Atheists Are Sometimes More Religious Than Christians” from The Atlantic on May 31, 2018.

Potential sources

• Tara Isabella Burton

  Tara Isabella Burton is a religion columnist, theologian and novelist. She’s currently working on a book about religious “nones” and has written about the intersections of technology and spirituality. 

• David Campbell

  David Campbell is a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame who has written widely on religion and politics. His books include, as editor, A Matter of Faith: Religion in the 2004 Presidential Election and, as co-author, American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us.

• Elizabeth Drescher

  Elizabeth Drescher is an adjunct associate professor of Christian spirituality, religious studies and pastoral ministry at Santa Clara University. She is the author of Choosing Our Religion: The Spiritual Lives of America’s Nones. 

• Hebah Farrag

  Hebah Farrag is the assistant director of research for the University of Southern California’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture. She studies Middle East politics, Islam in America, new spiritualities and the spirituality of social change movements such as Black Lives Matter.

• Casper ter Kuile

  Casper ter Kuile is a ministry innovation fellow at Harvard Divinity School. He studies innovation within secular and sacred communities and co-authored “How We Gather,” a report on where millennials find belonging. He’s also co-host of the podcast “Harry Potter and the Sacred Text.”

• Angie Thurston

  Angie Thurston is a ministry innovation fellow at Harvard Divinity School. She is also co-author of “How We Gather,” a report on how people find community in the modern world.

• Phil Zuckerman

  Phil Zuckerman is a professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif. He is the author of The Nonreligious: Understanding Secular People and Societies.

2. The growing significance of nonreligious voters

Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, secular organizations worked together to get out the vote among atheists, agnostics and other nonreligious Americans. As 2020 campaigns pick up steam this year, that work will continue and it deserves more coverage.

Groups such as American Atheists and the Secular Coalition for America are using political organizing as a way to better understand the communities they serve. These efforts to clearly define secular values are mirrored by current research projects within the field of religious studies.

In 2019, members of Congress may bring even more attention to religious disaffiliation. The number of leaders who answered “Don’t know/refuse” when asked to share their religious identification rose from 10 to 18 this year, according to Pew Research Center.

Related readings

• Read “How religious groups voted in the midterm elections” from Pew Research Center on Nov. 7, 2018.
• Read “Politics is the New Religion for Progressive Democrats” from The Atlantic on Oct. 11, 2018.
• Read “Is it just an ‘atheists’ club’? Inside the House of Representatives’ new Freethought Caucus” from Pacific Standard on May 9, 2018.
• Read “Religious ‘nones’ could shake up American politics — but many roadblocks stand in their way” from the Deseret News on March 6, 2018.
• Read “Nonreligious Americans Remain Far Underrepresented in Congress” from NPR on Jan. 3, 2017.

Potential sources

• Ryan Claassen

  Ryan Claassen is a professor of political science at Kent State University. He is the author of Godless Democrats and Pious Republicans? Party Activists, Party Capture and the “God Gap.”

• Nick Fish

  Nick Fish is president of American Atheists, an organization that advocates on behalf of nonreligious Americans in the public square.

• John C. Green

  John C. Green is a senior fellow at the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, specializing in religion and American politics. He also serves as interim university president, director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics and distinguished professor of political science at the University of Akron.

• Robert P. Jones

  Robert P. Jones is CEO of Public Religion Research Institute, or PRRI.

• Sarah M. Levin

  Sarah M. Levin is the director of governmental affairs for the Secular Coalition for America. She is one of the coordinators of a national effort to form a voting bloc of religious “nones.”

• David Niose

  David Niose is legal director of the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center. He previously served as the organization’s president. Niose has written about the growing significance of secular voters.

• Gregory A. Smith

  Gregory A. Smith is the associate director of research at the Pew Research Center. He’s an expert on religion in America. Arrange interviews through Anna Schiller.

• Michael Wear

  Michael Wear is chief strategist for the AND Campaign, a Christian organization aimed at building a healthier political culture. He is the author of Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America.  Wear served as faith outreach director for President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

3. Mounting tension over international religious freedom violations

Members of the Trump administration talk about religious freedom regularly. Last year, they hosted a first-of-its-kind ministerial on the subject, pulling in participants from more than 80 countries around the world.

But is this talk paired with enough action against religious freedom violators? Countries such as China and Pakistan, which are endangering the lives of religious minorities, won’t change their ways because of a strongly worded statement.

In 2019, the Trump administration will continue to focus on international religious freedom. New statements or conferences create opportunities to cover whether human rights groups think American leaders are making a difference.

Related readings

• Read “U.S. condemns 10 countries for severe religious freedom violations” from CNN on Dec. 11, 2018.
• Read “The Vanishing: The plight of Christians in an age of intolerance” from Harper’s on Dec. 4, 2018.
• Read “China Is Detaining Muslims in Vast Numbers. The Goal: ‘Transformation’” from The New York Times on Sept. 8, 2018.
• Read “State Department religious freedom summit ends with commitments, critiques” from Religion News Service on July 27, 2018.
• Read “Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016” from Pew Research Center on June 21, 2018.

Potential sources

• Kristina Arriaga de Bucholz

  Kristina Arriaga de Bucholz is a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. She previously served as an adviser to the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

• Andrew Bennett

  Andrew Bennett is a senior fellow with the Religious Freedom Institute in Washington, D.C., and law program director for Cardus, a faith-based think tank in Ontario, Canada. He previously served as Canada’s ambassador for religious freedom.

• Samuel D. Brownback

  Samuel D. Brownback is the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. He previously served as governor of Kansas, as well as a U.S. representative and senator. 

• Ganoune Diop

  Ganoune Diop serves as general secretary of the International Religious Liberty Association, which is based in Silver Spring, Md. He is an ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister and he previously taught biblical languages, exegesis and theology at Adventist universities in France and the U.S.

• Brian Grim

  Brian J. Grim is president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, which makes the case that religious freedom is good for business. Formerly at Pew Research Center, Grim is a leading expert on the socioeconomic impact of restrictions on religious freedom and international religious demography.

• Katayoun Kishi

  Katayoun Kishi is a research associate with Pew Research Center. She leads the center’s annual exploration of restrictions on religious practice around the world.  Arrange interviews through Anna Schiller.

• Johnnie Moore

  Johnnie Moore is a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. He also serves as an informal spokesperson for President Donald Trump’s group of evangelical advisers.

• David Saperstein

  David Saperstein is an American rabbi, lawyer, and Jewish community leader who served as United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom from 2015 – 2017. He previously served as the director and chief legal counsel at the Union for Reform Judaism‘s Religious Action Center for more than 40 years and as a Commissioner at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.  He Is one of the founders of the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network. The network seeks to build mutual trust and respect among faith leaders through civic engagement, authentic relationships, and honest dialogue leading to resilient, compassionate, and flourishing communities.

• Ahmed Shaheed

  Ahmed Shaheed is the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.