Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture

File:Barry Kosmin.jpg[https://commons.trincoll.edu/understandingsecularism/about-2/our-secularism-experts/barry-a-kosmin/ Barry A. Kosmin], Trinity College. Retrieved on January 3, 2023. In 2011, Kosmin accepted a seat on the Board of Directors of Center for Inquiry (CFI) where his responsibilities include the Council for Secular Humanism and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, as well as serving on the CFI affiliate committee.[https://centerforinquiry.org/about/board/ Board], Center for Inquiry. Retrieved on January 3, 2023. He is the joint editor of the new academic journal Secularism & Nonreligion and was one of the principal investigators of the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS).{{cite web |url=http://www.centerforinquiry.net/newsroom/kosmin_named_to_board_of_directors/ |title=Kosmin Named to Board of Directors |publisher=Center for Inquiry |date=October 5, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2011}} Kosmin is considered the leading expert "on the growing percentage of Americas who lack a religious identity, the so called "nones".{{cite journal |url=http://www.trincoll.edu/Academics/centers/isssc/Documents/The%20Future%20of%20Irreligion%20Part%201.pdf |first=Chris |last=Mooney |title=The Future of Irreligion, Part 1: A Conversation with Barry A. Kosmin |journal=Free Inquiry |date=April–May 2011 |volume=31 |issue=3 |access-date=October 16, 2011}} Kosmin has been featured on podcasts such as Center for Inquiry's Point of Inquiry and published in Free Inquiry magazine discussing the results of the ARIS.{{cite web |url=http://www.pointofinquiry.org/barry_kosmin_one_nation_losing_god/ |title=Barry Kosmin - One Nation, Losing God |work=Point of Inquiry |year=2011 |access-date=December 31, 2010}}{{cite journal |url=http://www.trincoll.edu/Academics/centers/isssc/Documents/The%20Future%20of%20IrreligionPart%202.pdf |first=Chris |last=Mooney |title=The Future of Irreligion, Part 2: A Conversation with Barry A. Kosmin |journal=Free Inquiry |date=June–July 2011 |volume=31 |issue=4 |access-date=October 16, 2011}}{{cite journal |url=http://secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=fi&page=latino_nones |first=Juhem |last=Navarro-Rivera |title=Media Stereotypes and the Invisible Latino 'Nones' |journal=Free Inquiry |date=December 2010 – January 2011 |volume=31 |issue=1 |access-date=October 16, 2011}}

The American Humanist Association awarded Kosmin a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.[https://www.trincoll.edu/news/barry-a-kosmin-to-receive-american-humanist-associations-lifetime-achievement-award/ Barry A. Kosmin to Receive American Humanist Association's Lifetime Achievement Award], March 27, 2019, Trinity College. Retrieved on January 3, 2023.[https://thehumanist.com/magazine/november-december-2019/features/converting-the-nones-why-an-aware-homo-secularis-is-paramount Converting the Nones: Why an Aware Homo Secularis Is Paramount], October 22, 2019, The Humanist

Previously named the National Survey of Religious Identification in 1990, it was renamed the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) in 2001. The survey was originally created as a social experiment to record the response to the "What is your religion?" question.[https://commons.trincoll.edu/aris/about-aris/ About ARIS], Trinity College. Retrieved on January 3, 2023. They found it was necessary to ask a series of questions such as "Do you want to have a religious funeral?" in order to get a better grasp of the answer to the main question.{{cite web|url=http://commons.trincoll.edu/aris/surveys/nsri-1990/|title=National Survey of Religious Identification (1990): The Aim of the NSRI|publisher=ISSSC|access-date=2011-10-31}}

The 2001 survey intended to replicate the 1990 survey. Data was collected from over 50,000 households over a 4-month period.{{cite web|url=http://commons.trincoll.edu/aris/surveys/aris-2001/|title=American Religious Identification Survey (2001)|publisher=ISSSC|access-date=2011-10-31}} In 2008 the ARIS again randomly called over 50,000 households and questioned adults about their religious affiliations, if any.{{cite web|url=http://commons.trincoll.edu/aris/about-aris/|title=About ARIS 2008 |publisher=ISSSC|access-date=2011-10-31}} ARIS is the survey used by the U.S. Census in the Statistical Abstract of the U.S. to show the religious distribution of the U.S. Population.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0075.pdf|title=Table 74. Population of Group Quarters by State 2000-2010 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2011-10-31}}

The results of the ARIS have been discussed in many news reports by ABC News,{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7041036&page=1|title=America Is Becoming Less Christian, Less Religious |author=Dan Harris |publisher=ABC News|date=2009-03-09|access-date=2011-10-31}} The Christian Science Monitor,{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2009/0310/p01s02-ussc.html|title=Survey sees a drift away from religion in America |author=Jane Lampman |publisher=Christian Science Monitor|date=2009-03-10|access-date=2011-10-31}} and USA Today.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-aris-survey-nones_N.htm|title='Nones' now 15% of population |author=Cathy Lynn Grossman |publisher=USA Today|access-date=2011-10-31|date=2009-03-09}}

ISSSC develops new multi-disciplinary courses based on a common theme every year with associated faculty at Trinity College, Hartford and the Claremont Colleges, California. The cross-discipline themes include (by year):

• 2005-06: The Roots of the Secular Tradition in the West
• 2006-07: The Secular Tradition and Foundations of the Natural Sciences
• 2007-08: Secularism and the Enlightenment
• 2008-09: The Global Impact of Secular Values
• 2009-10: The Secular Tradition in General Education

International Survey: Worldviews and Opinions of Scientists (India 2008){{cite web|url=http://commons.trincoll.edu/worldviewsofscientists/|title=Worldviews and Opinions of Scientists |publisher=ISSSC|year=2011 |access-date=2011-10-31}}

;2009

• [https://www.scribd.com/doc/17139496/Secularism-Women-the-State-The-Mediterranean-World-in-the-21st-CenturySecularism, Women & The State: The Mediterranean World in the 21st Century] (edited by Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar)

;2008

• [https://www.scribd.com/doc/17142072/Secularism-Science-in-the-21st-Century Secularism & Science in the 21st Century] (edited by Ariela Keysar and Barry Kosmin)
• [http://www.worldviewsofscientists.org/International Survey: Worldviews and Opinions of Scientists]

;2007

• [https://www.scribd.com/doc/17142803/Secularism-Secularity-Contemporary-International-PerspectivesSecularism & Secularity: Contemporary International Perspectives] (edited by Barry Kosmin and Ariela Keysar)
• "Unbelief and Irreligion, Empirical Study and Neglect of" (by Frank L. Pasquale in The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief; edited by Tom Flynn; Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books)

;2006

• Religion in a Free Market: Religious and Non-Religious Americans—Who, What, Why and Where (by Barry Kosmin and Ariela Keysar)

{{Reflist|2}}

• [https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/isssc/ ISSSC publications]
• [http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org American Religions Identification Survey]
• [https://commons.trincoll.edu/understandingsecularism/ Understanding Secularism]

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Category:Trinity College (Connecticut)

Category:Secularism in the United States

Category:Organizations based in Connecticut