Two views of the future of religion in the world are vying for our favor. Of course this is too simple: There is a well-populated continuum of opinion about what lies ahead, and there are numerous distinctions, both obvious and subtle, among even those perspectives which agree in larger relief.

However, I think it’s possible to discern this general divide: Some foresee the 21^st century as bringing the triumph of secularization, while others anticipate that it will be the “religious century.”

In his recent essay “And the Winner Is…” (The Atlantic, March 2008), Alan Wolfe presents the case for the triumph of secularization. Click to continue »