CURRENT RESEARCH
Congregations in Canada - Religious Nones in North America - Millennials in Canada
Flourishing Congregations in Canada
This ongoing research with Dr. Arch Wong (Ambrose University), Dr. Bill McAlpine (Ambrose University), and Dr. Keith Walker (University of Saskatchewan) is connected to the Flourishing Congregations Institute. Drawing on an appreciative inquiry approach, our central aim is to define and understand what flourishing congregations look like in a uniquely Canadian context and how local congregations from various traditions may move towards and maintain a flourishing ethos. Our first substantive study - three years in length - draws on interviews and focus groups with church and denominational leaders in five Canadian regions (phase one), a national survey with church leaders and congregants (phase two), and in-depth case studies with some congregations (phase three).
Nonreligion in a Complex Future
Beginning in late 2019, I'm part of a 7 year study with an international research team that is exploring the role and place of nonreligion in diverse social contexts around the world, including in Canada. Stay tuned for more updates and ways to connect to this research.
None of the Above: Nonreligious Identity in the US and Canada
Someone saying they have “no religion” when asked their religious affiliation has become an increasingly common phenomenon in recent decades in both the USA and Canada, with religious nones now forming substantial portions of the North American population. Yet, we know little when it comes to this demographic’s reasons for not identifying with a religious group or tradition, their personal spiritualities or forms of secularity, their feelings towards more religious individuals and their socio-political attitudes and behaviours. Using key survey and in-depth interview data from a number of sources, Dr. Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme (University of Waterloo) and I released a book that explores the dynamics of being a religious none in contemporary North America and how this non-religious identity impacts other aspects of daily and social life. In so doing, we give special attention to similarities and differences between religious nones in the USA and Canada, accounting for the distinct historical, cultural, and religious landscapes in each nation.
The Millennial Mosaic: How Pluralism and Choice are Shaping Canadian Youth and the Future of Canada
In collaboration with Dr. Reginald Bibby (University of Lethbridge) and Dr. Monetta Bailey (Ambrose University), this book draws on data from a national 2015 Religion Survey as well as a new national Social Trends Survey completed in late 2016 to provide an updated reading on Canadian youth. Below are select media-releases with data from this book.
August 8, 2019 Book Press Release
August 19, 2019 Release - Why Millennials are an Upgrade
September 3, 2019 Release - Millennials Continue to Dream
September 10, 2019 Release - Mosaic Minds of Millennials