{"id":855334,"date":"2025-08-25T05:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T10:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/?p=855334"},"modified":"2025-08-15T15:38:55","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T20:38:55","slug":"the-four-faces-of-the-nones-what-ryan-burges-new-research-reveals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/the-four-faces-of-the-nones-what-ryan-burges-new-research-reveals\/","title":{"rendered":"The Four Faces of the Nones: What Ryan Burge\u2019s New Research Reveals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ryan Burge does it again.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve followed his work, you know he has a way of blending rigorous research with clear, relatable explanations. This time, he partnered with Tony Jones on a grant-funded project from the John Templeton Foundation\u2019s <\/span>Spiritual Yearning Research Initiative<\/span><\/i>. The centerpiece? A massive survey titled <\/span>Making Meaning in a Post-Religious America<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

They went big\u2014really big\u2014on sample size. Using Qualtrics, a trusted data platform in both academic and business circles, they surveyed 15,296 Americans. Of those, 12,014 identified as atheist, agnostic, or \u201cnothing in particular\u201d\u2014the group we\u2019ve come to call the <\/span>Nones<\/span><\/i>. They also surveyed 3,282 Americans from various faith traditions (Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and others) as a reference group for comparison.<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal? To see the Nones in a new light, using more nuance than traditional surveys allow. They applied a machine learning process called <\/span>k-means clustering<\/span><\/i>\u2014an algorithm that groups people based on similarities without human bias in the sorting. The result: <\/span>four distinct categories<\/b> within the non-religious.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those four groups are:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n
      \n
    1. NiNos<\/b> (<\/span>Nones in Name Only<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. SBNRs<\/b> (<\/span>Spiritual But Not Religious<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. The Dones<\/b><\/li>\n
    4. Zealous Atheists<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      As you read, remember\u2014Burge\u2019s percentages are <\/span>within the Nones<\/b>, not the total U.S. population. In other words, when he says 36% of Nones fall into a category, that\u2019s 36% of people who are religiously unaffiliated, not 36% of all Americans.<\/span><\/p>\n

      You can read Burge\u2019s original article on his <\/span>Graphs about Religion<\/span><\/i> Substack here: <\/span>The Four Types of Nones<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      NiNos: Nones in Name Only (21% of the Nones)<\/b><\/p>\n

      Let\u2019s start with the most surprising group\u2014at least for those who think all Nones are thoroughly secular. The NiNos are, in many ways, still tethered to religion. They reject a religious label, but their practices and beliefs look, at times, like those inside the pews.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Nearly three-quarters of them choose \u201cnothing in particular\u201d as their affiliation. Yet over half pray daily, and a similar percentage say they believe in God without a doubt. One-third even attend religious services at least once a year. Compared to Protestants and Catholics, their religious engagement is still lower\u2014but compared to other Nones, it\u2019s much higher.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Here\u2019s the kicker: NiNos may reflect a flaw in how surveys classify religious identity. Many don\u2019t fit neatly into the categories survey researchers use. They may dislike institutions, but they retain personal faith and private spiritual habits. In that sense, they could be \u201clow-commitment believers\u201d rather than truly non-religious.<\/span><\/p>\n

      For pastors and church leaders, NiNos could represent the most reachable segment of the Nones\u2014people already halfway to the front door, spiritually speaking.<\/span><\/p>\n

      SBNRs: Spiritual But Not Religious (36% of the Nones)<\/b><\/p>\n

      This is the largest group, and their label is familiar even outside academic circles. SBNRs resist organized religion but pursue spiritual meaning in other ways.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Their stats paint a clear picture: 93% seldom or never attend religious services, nearly 90% rarely pray, and only 5% say they believe in God without a doubt. But they score high on \u201cspiritual importance,\u201d which sets them apart from the Dones and Zealous Atheists.<\/span><\/p>\n

      They\u2019re also deeply distrustful of religion\u2014three-quarters say they have no trust in religious institutions at all. Instead, they turn to what you might call \u201calternative spiritual practices\u201d\u2014meditation, yoga, nature walks, crystals, energy work, and other non-institutional forms of meaning-making.<\/span><\/p>\n

      One key insight here: SBNRs may not be drawn back to church by traditional approaches. Instead, engagement might require building bridges through shared values like community service and community ministries like those offered by <\/span>Upward Sports<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The Dones (33% of the Nones)<\/b><\/p>\n

      If the SBNRs keep one foot in the spiritual waters, the Dones have stepped completely out\u2014and dried off. They register the lowest possible scores for both religious and spiritual importance.<\/span><\/p>\n

      They rarely, if ever, participate in religious practices\u2014just 2% attend services at all, and 99% say they don\u2019t pray. Belief in God? Almost nonexistent. The most telling stat: 77% agree with the statement, <\/span>\u201cWhen I die, my existence ends.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

      For the Dones, religion is not only unnecessary\u2014it\u2019s irrelevant. In Burge\u2019s words, there\u2019s no evidence of a \u201cGod-shaped hole\u201d here. That makes them the least likely to reengage with faith through conventional outreach.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Still, they\u2019re worth understanding. Their firm disconnection from religion may say as much about past religious experiences (or lack thereof) as about their current worldview.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Zealous Atheists (11% of the Nones)<\/b><\/p>\n

      This is the smallest group, but it\u2019s the one most people think of when they picture an outspoken non-believer. About three-quarters of them have tried to persuade someone to leave religion in the past year. Burge calls them the \u201cReddit Atheists\u201d for their quickness to critique faith online.<\/span><\/p>\n

      They\u2019re often active in debates, mocking religious concepts they see as irrational (\u201cSky Daddy\u201d jokes and references to the \u201cFlying Spaghetti Monster\u201d abound). What\u2019s surprising is that some still have minimal interaction with religion\u201417% attend a service at least once a year, and some admit to occasional prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Why? Possibly because religion still touches their lives indirectly\u2014through family, holidays, or cultural moments. And that ongoing contact may fuel their critical engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

      It\u2019s worth noting that despite their online visibility, Zealous Atheists represent just over one in ten Nones\u2014not the face of the entire unaffiliated world.<\/span><\/p>\n

      What Do the Church Leaders Do with This Research?<\/b><\/p>\n

      Burge and Jones\u2019 work gives us a sharper lens for understanding the religiously unaffiliated. Instead of treating all Nones as one undifferentiated group, we can now see four distinct faces:<\/span><\/p>\n