Greater Good magazine has named the book 鈥淒one: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion鈥� by Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren of the 暗网TV psychology faculty one of its Favorite Books of 2024.
鈥淒one: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion鈥� is written for a general audience and meant to be a resource for those who are wrestling with faith鈥檚 role in their lives and for those who care about them and want to understand. Published in July by the American Psychological Association, it draws from psychological theories and research to examine the emotional and social processes involved with religious change and provides science-based guidance for building a new life.
Greater Good鈥檚 editors select the Favorite Books as 鈥渢he most thought-provoking, practical and inspirational science books of the year.鈥� As the publication explained of this year鈥檚 selections, 鈥淭hough news of the world can seem pretty grim at times, we at Greater Good try to see beyond the headlines. We know from research that it鈥檚 important not to give in to pervasive anger or despair. Even in the worst circumstances, there are always individuals and organizations doing good work and creating a more just, compassionate and healthy world. We just need to elevate their voices and learn from their scientific insights and practical wisdom. This year鈥檚 favorite books give us a chance to do just that.鈥�
In its overview of 鈥淒one,鈥� the publication said, 鈥淲hether you are leaving religion entirely, trying to forge a new spiritual identity, or seeking to understand someone else鈥檚 choice to leave, the book shows how it鈥檚 possible to still have a meaningful life post-religion. And it provides insight for all of us, regardless of religious affiliation.鈥�
鈥淒one: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion鈥� grew out of both Van Tongeren鈥檚 most recent scholarship and work that he has pursued for the entirety of his career. He has been studying people who have been leaving religion for the past six years, and has been conducting research on the social motivation for meaning in life, religion and virtues such as forgiveness and humility for nearly two decades.
鈥淲e鈥檙e living through a considerable change in the religious and cultural landscape,鈥� said Van Tongeren, who is a professor of psychology and director of the college鈥檚 Frost Center for Social Science Research. 鈥淧eople are leaving churches, turning away from organized religion, and seeking alternative ways to engage with the transcendent. Some have estimated that nearly one in four Americans have switched religion, and my own cross-cultural work suggests that the number of people leaving religion may be one in five individuals.鈥�
鈥淭his shift has not come without costs,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hile turning away from religion can bring about freedom, awe and wonder, it can also engender a profound loss of meaning, purpose, community and identity. It can threaten our relationships with friends and family. And it can pose a significant challenge to the mental health of even the most resilient among us.鈥�
Van Tongeren鈥檚 work has been supported by numerous external grants, including currently a three-year, $509,623 award from the John Templeton Foundation to lead a study seeking to understand the spirituality of those who have left the church, which he is conducting with colleagues at Duke University and Case Western. He is also a co-principal investigator on another current project funded by the John Templeton Foundation, 鈥淎pplied Research on Intellectual Humility: A Request for Proposals,鈥� which received a $6 million grant from the foundation in 2022.
His other publications include more than 200 scholarly articles and chapters, as well as the books 鈥淗umble: Free yourself from the traps of a narcissistic world鈥� (2022) and 鈥淭he Courage to Suffer: A New Clinical Framework for Life鈥檚 Greatest Crises鈥� (2020), the latter of which he co-authored with his wife, Sara, who is a licensed social worker.
Van Tongeren has received multiple national and international honors for his scholarship, including, in 2021: the Early Career Contributions Award from the International Society for the Science of Existential Psychology (ISSEP); being named a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science; a 鈥�10 Under 10鈥� alumni award for 2021 from Virginia Commonwealth University, from which he holds his doctorate; and the Margaret Gorman Early Career Award of the Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, a division of the American Psychological Association. In addition, in 2020 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, and in 2019 he was elected a Fellow by both the Midwestern Psychological Association and the International Society for Science and Religion. The APS had previously named him a Rising Star in 2016.
鈥溾�� retails for $21.99 and is available through Amazon as well as area booksellers and the American Psychological Association.
is published by the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California, Berkeley. The publication turns scientific research into stories, tips and tools for a happier life and a more compassionate society.