Navigating Romantic Relationships as an Atheist

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. CONTENTS v
3. Acknowledgments xi
4. INTRODUCTION. The Other Closet: An Introduction to Atheism and Coming Out Processes 1
5. PART 1. LEAVING FAITH
6. Arriving at Atheist Identity from Religious Backgrounds 23
7. 1. HOW I GOT TO NONE OF THE ABOVE 27
8. 2. RELIGION AND THE F-WORD (FEMINISM) 31
9. 3. CLAP OUR HANDS LIKE TREES 40
10. 4. EX-MORMON 48
11. PART 2. CULTURAL CONTEXTS IN COMING OUT AS ATHEIST
12. Introduction 59
13. 5. AN UNEXAMINED LIFE 65
14. 6. USER ERROR: COMING OUT AS ATHEIST IN UTAH 72
15. 7. THE NAMES WE CALL HOME 79
16. 8. A LIFE OF CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS 85
17. PART 3. TWO CLOSETS? Identifying as Both LGBTQ and Atheist
18. Introduction 91
19. 9. A TALE OF TWO CLOSETS 95
20. 10. THE PERMANENT PRODIGAL DAUGHTER 101
21. 11. FAR FROM HOME 108
22. PART 4. AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH
23. Navigating Romantic Relationships as an Atheist 117
24. 12. AN ATHEIST’S SIMPLE REVELATION ABOUT LOVE: IT’S COMPLICATED 121
25. 13. SWEPT UNDER THE RUG 126
26. 14. ON LOVE AND CREDULITY 132
27. PART 5. FAMILY LIFE AND ATHEIST PARENTING
28. Introduction 137
29. 15. DINNER WITH GRANDMA 143
30. 16. PARENTING AUTHENTICALLY IN AN INTERFAITH MARRIAGE 148
31. 17. HAVING A BABY MADE ME AN ATHEIST 157
32. 18. BORN SECULAR 162
33. PART 6. THE SEARCH FOR CONNECTION
34. Coming Out to Friends and Questing for Community 169
35. 19. SLOW GROWTH 173
36. 20. AN ATHEIST IN THE BIBLE BELT 181
37. 21. COMING OUT AND FINDING HOME 185
38. PART 7. ATHEISM AT WORK
39. Tales of Coming Out to Coworkers and Colleagues 193
40. 22. IS THIS THE WAY TO AMARILLO? 197
41. 23. CRACKING OPEN THE CLOSET DOOR 202
42. 24. MY FAVORITE ATHEIST 207
43. PART 8. ATHEISM AND AGING
44. The Challenges of Entering Older Adulthood as a Nonbeliever 211
45. 25. THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED 215
46. 26. A CONTRARIAN LIFE STORY 224
47. 27. DARK MATTER AND MISSING SOCKS 232
48. Concluding Thoughts: The Open Door 239
49. Notes 241
50. Bibliography 251