S1E6: American faith and the rise of the 'nones'

The "nones" are on the rise in the U.S. as fewer people are identifying with a particular faith background.

Thirty-seven percent of Americans are among the religiously unaffiliated, which includes atheists, agnostics and those who say their religion is "nothing in particular," according to a 2017 Pew Research study.

A quarter of those surveyed said religion was unimportant to them.

However, the Pew study notes another interesting trend: it has becoming increasingly common for people to identify as "spiritual but not religious."

This group has grown among men and women of many different ages, racial groups, education levels and political identification.

Why are an increasing number of Americans not identifying with a particular faith? And what are people of faith doing to make their beliefs more dynamic, urgent and relevant?

We heard a wealth of thoughts and experiences regarding modern faith and religion on this week's Flyover. Listen to the show using the audio player above, or read what some others had to say in the live blog comments below:

This week's guests:

• Brian McLarin — theologian and author of many books, the latest of which is called "The Great Spiritual Migration: how the World's Largest Religion is Seeking a Better Way to Be Christian."

• Jenan Mohajir — Leadership Curriculum Consultant at Interfaith Youth Core and a founding board member at Heart Women and Girl, an organization that promotes sexual health in Muslim Communities.