Afterword: Towards an Understanding of Being Human

Abstract

This chapter reviews and extends some of the arguments from the book. First, I underline the central claim that nonreligion can provide positive moral ways of living in the world. However, I caution against taking this point too far, arguing that nonreligious people are just as likely as religious people to be moral and immoral. Second, the term “lived nonreligion” shows considerable promise, drawing the focus onto human practice, performance, imaginaries, and relationships. I suggest this can be extended to include the intense emotional nonreligious experiences at dance music festivals. Finally, I consider the centrality of symbols to lived nonreligion. Symbols articulate the relationships, emotions, imaginaries, and practices that point towards the shared ineffable heart of what it is to be human. I argue that the description and analysis of these symbolic processes are at the core of the study of nonreligion.