Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture
Encyclopedia
The Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture (ISSSC) is located at Trinity College
in Hartford, Connecticut
. ISSSC was established in 2005 to advance the understanding of the role of secular values
and the process of secularization
in contemporary society and culture. Designed to be multidisciplinary and nonpartisan, the Institute conducts research, lectures and public events.
Author and professor, Barry Kosmin, PhD created the ISSSC and remains the director of the Institute.
, his responsibilities include the Council for Secular Humanism
and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry as well as serving on the CFI affiliate committee.
He is the joint editor of the new academic journal Secularism & Nonreligion and was one of the principal investigators of the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey
(ARIS). Kosmin is considered the leading expert "on the growing percentage of Americas who lack a religious identity, the so called "nones". Kosmin has been been featured on podcasts such as Center for Inquiry
's Point of Inquiry
and published in Free Inquiry
magazine discussing the results of the ARIS.
The 2001 survey (now named the ARIS) intended to replicate the 1990 survey. Data was collected from over 50,000 households over a 4 month period. In 2008 the ARIS again randomly called over 50,000 households and questioned adults about their religious affiliations, if any. ARIS is the survey used by the U.S. Census in the Statistical Abstract of the U.S. to show the religious distribution of the U.S. Population.
The results of the ARIS have been discussed in many media stories ABC News
, Christian Science Monitor and USA Today
,
courses based on a common theme every year with associated faculty at Trinity College, Hartford and the Claremont Colleges
, California. The cross-discipline themes include (by year):
2008
2007
2006
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. ISSSC was established in 2005 to advance the understanding of the role of secular values
Secular ethics
Secular ethics is a branch of moral philosophy in which ethics is based solely on human faculties such as logic, reason or moral intuition, and not derived from purported supernatural revelation or guidance...
and the process of secularization
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
in contemporary society and culture. Designed to be multidisciplinary and nonpartisan, the Institute conducts research, lectures and public events.
Author and professor, Barry Kosmin, PhD created the ISSSC and remains the director of the Institute.
Barry Kosmin
Author of over 20 books, Kosmin is a research professor of public policy and law at Trinity College. In October 2011 Kosmin accepted a seat on the Board of Directors of CFICFI
CFI may refer to:* CAD Framework Initiative, a standardization organization for CAD systems in the EDA area* Canada Foundation for Innovation* Canal France International* Canonical Format Indicator, a field in the IEEE 802.1Q protocol...
, his responsibilities include the Council for Secular Humanism
Council for Secular Humanism
The Council for Secular Humanism is a secular humanist organization headquartered in Amherst, New York. In 1980 CODESH issued A Secular Humanist Declaration, an argument for and statement of belief in Democratic Secular Humanism...
and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry as well as serving on the CFI affiliate committee.
He is the joint editor of the new academic journal Secularism & Nonreligion and was one of the principal investigators of the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey
Religion in the United States
Religion in the United States is characterized by both a wide diversity in religious beliefs and practices, and by a high adherence level. According to recent surveys, 83 percent of Americans claim to belong to a religious denomination, 40 percent claim to attend services nearly every week or...
(ARIS). Kosmin is considered the leading expert "on the growing percentage of Americas who lack a religious identity, the so called "nones". Kosmin has been been featured on podcasts such as Center for Inquiry
Center for Inquiry
The Center for Inquiry is a non-profit educational organization with headquarters in the United States whose primary mission is to encourage evidence-based inquiry into paranormal and fringe science claims, alternative medicine and mental health practices, religion, secular ethics, and society...
's Point of Inquiry
Point of Inquiry
Point of Inquiry is the radio show and podcast of the Center for Inquiry, a think tank promoting science, reason and secular values. Started in 2005, Point of Inquiry has consistently ranked highly among similar podcasts. It has been celebrated for its guests, and for the quality of its interviews....
and published in Free Inquiry
Free Inquiry
Free Inquiry is a bi-monthly journal of secular humanist opinion and commentary published by the Council for Secular Humanism, which is part of the Center for Inquiry. Philosopher Paul Kurtz is the editor-in-chief and Thomas W. Flynn the editor. Feature articles cover a wide range of topics from a...
magazine discussing the results of the ARIS.
American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS)
Previously named the National Survey of Religious Identification in 1990, it was renamed the American Religious Identification Survey in 2001. The survey was originally created as a social experiment to record the response to the "What is your religion?" question. They found it was necessary to ask a series of questions such as "Do you want to have a religious funeral?" in order to get a better grasp of the answer to the main question.The 2001 survey (now named the ARIS) intended to replicate the 1990 survey. Data was collected from over 50,000 households over a 4 month period. In 2008 the ARIS again randomly called over 50,000 households and questioned adults about their religious affiliations, if any. ARIS is the survey used by the U.S. Census in the Statistical Abstract of the U.S. to show the religious distribution of the U.S. Population.
The results of the ARIS have been discussed in many media stories ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, Christian Science Monitor and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
,
Academics and curriculum development
ISSSC develops new multi-disciplinaryTransdisciplinarity
Transdisciplinarity connotes a research strategy that crosses many disciplinary boundaries to create a holistic approach. It applies to research efforts focused on problems that cross the boundaries of two or more disciplines, such as research on effective information systems for biomedical...
courses based on a common theme every year with associated faculty at Trinity College, Hartford and the Claremont Colleges
Claremont Colleges
The Claremont Colleges are a prestigious American consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools of higher education located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
, California. The cross-discipline themes include (by year):
- 2005-06: The Roots of the Secular Tradition in the WestWestern worldThe Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
- 2006-07: The Secular Tradition and Foundations of the Natural ScienceNatural scienceThe natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
s - 2007-08: Secularism and the EnlightenmentEnlightenment (spiritual)Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
- 2008-09: The Global Impact of Secular Values
- 2009-10: The Secular Tradition in General EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
Social science research
International Survey: Worldviews and Opinions of Scientists (India 2008)Publications
2009- Women & The State: The Mediterranean World in the 21st Century (edited by Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar)
2008
- Secularism & Science in the 21st Century (edited by Ariela Keysar and Barry Kosmin)
- Survey: Worldviews and Opinions of Scientists
2007
- & Secularity: Contemporary International Perspectives (edited by Barry Kosmin and Ariela Keysar)
- "Unbelief and Irreligion, Empirical Study and Neglect of" (by Frank L. Pasquale in The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief; edited by Tom Flynn; Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books)
2006
- Religion in a Free Market: Religious and Non-Religious Americans—Who, What, Why and Where (by Barry Kosmin and Ariela Keysar)