Abstract
Although there is a rich geographical literature concerning religion, the spatialities of non-believers have received little notice. This void is particularly notable in light of the recent surge of interest in and works on atheism. This chapter opens with an historical account of secularization, including debates over Weberian perspectives. Second, I offer a critique of religion, focusing on its destructive social dimensions and anti-intellectualism. Next it delves into the historical geography of atheism, including state-imposed secularism in communist regimes as well as the diversity found among non-believers. The fourth part summarizes geographies of atheism in the contemporary world, noting that secularism is primarily found in economically developed countries. Fifth, it explores the question of European secularism and the degree to which its experience may be universalized. Finally, I discuss thee exceptional case of the United States, the only advanced country with high degrees of religiosity, including the geography of American atheists and their long-standing social and political marginalization.
Faith is believing what you know ain’t so. (Mark Twain)
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Warf, B. (2015). Atheist Geographies and Geographies of Atheism. In: Brunn, S. (eds) The Changing World Religion Map. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9376-6_117
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