The quest culture has generated a "marketplace" of new spiritual beliefs and practices and of revisited traditions. As Roof shows, some Americans are exploring faiths and spiritual disciplines for the first time; others are rediscovering their lost traditions; others are drawn to small groups and alternative communities; and still others create their own mix of values and metaphysical beliefs. Here we see an emergence of five subcultures: dogmatists, born-again Christians, mainstream believers, metaphysical believers and seekers, and secularists. Drawing on surveys and in-depth interviews for over a decade, Roof reports on the religious and spiritual styles, family patterns, and moral vision and values for each of these subcultures.
Wade Clark Roof (1939 - 2019) was a PhD in the sociology and psychology of religion from the University of North Carolina. He was Professor and Chair of the Department of Religion at UCSB. His main areas of research interest are sociology of religion and American religious trends, and he has published widely in both fields, and was serving as editor in chief for Macmillan Reference’s Contemporary American Religion (2000). He also taught a range of both undergraduate and graduate courses on religion and society.
From the Archives: This live interview was recorded on October 23, 1999 on the nationally syndicated radio program, hosted by Laura Lee (The Laura Lee Show) . See more at www.lauralee.com
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