Remaking Religion NW

Remaking Religion NW is an academic research project interested in considering the changing landscapes of religion among youth cultures in the Pacific Northwest. Across the academic field of religious studies, the region of the Pacific Northwest has been dubbed the “None Zone” – a frame of reference used by scholars to depict low reported rates of institutional religious affiliation in and around this region. Remaking Religion NW considers and challenges "None Zone" research by ethnographically considering the role, weight and significance of cultural practices among Northwest youth, while also gauging ideas, perceptions, and understandings of religion. Remaking Religion NW's central questions include: What informs young people's acceptance or rejection of the conventional "grammar" of religion? What other dimensions of life and cultural practices do young people find meaningful and important? And, how do young people understand and respond to the concept of "religion"? To get at the answers to these questions, we engage less-considered domains of youth cultural practices such as street corners, coffee shops, music scenes, and bars, among a host of other sites of cultural and personal relevance for youth in the Pacific Northwest. Take our survey to add your voice to our growing body of knowledge!