Review of “Why Baby Boomers Turned from Religion: Shaping Belief and Belonging, 1945–2021”

Abstract

For quite some time now, scholars have debated the importance of the 1960s for religious decline in western countries. Some scholars argue that secularization only started in the 1960s, others believe that the 1960s were a period of increased speed of a much larger secularization process and still others doubt that the 1960s had a significant impact on religious change. Abby Day clearly sets herself in the camp of those who argue that the 1960s were a pivotal moment for religious decline in western countries. She believes that current secularization has a lot to do with the fact that Baby Boomers (in Day’s definition the generation born between 1945 and 1960) turned from religion, and she sets out to understand why. Additionally, she seeks to understand why these Boomers supposedly decided not to religiously socialize their children and whether they (the Boomers) replaced their lost faith with any alternative forms of beliefs or values.