What happens when our secular institutions spiritually define us. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP4QnAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zOSZlbWM9ZWRpdF90eV8yMDIyMDYwNCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD02MzA3MiZubD1vcGluaW9uLXRvZGF5JnByb2R1Y3RDb2RlPVRZJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD05NDI0MSZ0ZT0xJnVyaT1ueXQlM0ElMkYlMkZuZXdzbGV0dGVyJTJGMTUyZGQzYTgtYWI0NC01MWE3LThhMmYtMTMwODNkYjNkOWE1JnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYpiFSZti7Hj0ZVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM5JmVtYz1lZGl0X3R5XzIwMjIwNjA0Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTYzMDcyJm5sPW9waW5pb24tdG9kYXkmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTk0MjQxJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-ad-marquee)
~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYyMTM5JmxpPVRZJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1UWV8yMDIyMDYwNFcDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ [Read more from Opinion](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0S-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc2VjdGlvbi9vcGluaW9uP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM5JmVtYz1lZGl0X3R5XzIwMjIwNjA0Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTYzMDcyJm5sPW9waW5pb24tdG9kYXkmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTk0MjQxJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) June 4, 2022 The gospel of work is thin gruel, an ethically empty solution to meet our essential need for belonging and meaning. And it is starving us as individuals and communities. Sean Dong By Carolyn Chen People often wonder why a sociologist of religion like me studies Silicon Valley. âIsnât it a godless place?â they ask. Thatâs what I thought too, until I moved there. As I write in my [guest essay](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNS8yNC9vcGluaW9uL3dvcmstcmVsaWdpb24tc2lsaWNvbi12YWxsZXkuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zOSZlbWM9ZWRpdF90eV8yMDIyMDYwNCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD02MzA3MiZubD1vcGluaW9uLXRvZGF5JnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD05NDI0MSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYpiFSZti7Hj0ZVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) for Times Opinion, I learned that the industry is actually driven by energies that if it were almost anyplace else we would call religious: worship, faith and sacrifice. Like most scholars of religion, I had studied religion by looking at religious things â individuals, communities, institutions, texts and practices that are associated with a formal religious tradition such as Islam, Christianity or Buddhism. But that approach doesnât help us fully understand the American religious experience today, when the fastest-growing âreligiousâ category consists of people who donât even identify with a religion. American [rates](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TGaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdhbGx1cC5jb20vcG9sbC8xNjkwL3JlbGlnaW9uLmFzcHg_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzkmZW1jPWVkaXRfdHlfMjAyMjA2MDQmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NjMwNzImbmw9b3Bpbmlvbi10b2RheSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9OTQyNDEmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmKYhUmbYux49GVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) of religious affiliation have plummeted to their lowest point in the past 73 years. And nowhere are they lower than in knowledge-industry [hubs](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP4QIAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnBld3Jlc2VhcmNoLm9yZy9mYWN0LXRhbmsvMjAxNS8wNy8yOS9tYWpvci11LXMtbWV0cm9wb2xpdGFuLWFyZWFzLWRpZmZlci1pbi10aGVpci1yZWxpZ2lvdXMtcHJvZmlsZXMvP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM5JmVtYz1lZGl0X3R5XzIwMjIwNjA0Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTYzMDcyJm5sPW9waW5pb24tdG9kYXkmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTk0MjQxJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) like Silicon Valley, where high-skilled jobs are growing the fastest. If religion is in decline, I wondered, then what are Americans worshiping now? What has become our new religion? For many professionals, the answer is work. Work provides the identity, belonging, meaning and purpose that faith traditions once did. As Americans, we often think that we individually choose what we believe in and what we worship. But as a sociologist, I am trained to look for the social contexts that surround and condition our individual choices. I urge you to think about how our social institutions, even the secular ones, spiritually form us and direct our devotion as a society. Those of us who hold professional jobs in places like San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Washington are subtly but firmly being encouraged to make work our alpha institution, the sun around which our lives orbit. As [my research bears out](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNS8yNC9vcGluaW9uL3dvcmstcmVsaWdpb24tc2lsaWNvbi12YWxsZXkuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zOSZlbWM9ZWRpdF90eV8yMDIyMDYwNCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD02MzA3MiZubD1vcGluaW9uLXRvZGF5JnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD05NDI0MSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYpiFSZti7Hj0ZVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), the theocracy of work is hurting our democracy, our civil society, our families and our communities. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-0) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0RsaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NTk3ODUmbGk9VFkmbT1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZwPVRZXzIwMjIwNjA0VwNueXRCCmKYhUmbYux49GVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~ READ CAROLYNâS FULL ESSAY HERE [Guest Essay When Your Job Fills In for Your Faith, Thatâs a Problem Work has become religion for many knowledge workers. It hurts all of us. By Carolyn Chen](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNS8yNC9vcGluaW9uL3dvcmstcmVsaWdpb24tc2lsaWNvbi12YWxsZXkuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zOSZlbWM9ZWRpdF90eV8yMDIyMDYwNCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD02MzA3MiZubD1vcGluaW9uLXRvZGF5JnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD05NDI0MSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYpiFSZti7Hj0ZVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Article Image](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNS8yNC9vcGluaW9uL3dvcmstcmVsaWdpb24tc2lsaWNvbi12YWxsZXkuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zOSZlbWM9ZWRpdF90eV8yMDIyMDYwNCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD02MzA3MiZubD1vcGluaW9uLXRvZGF5JnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD05NDI0MSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYpiFSZti7Hj0ZVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) We want to hear from you.
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[Guest Essay Calling In Sick Is More Fraught Than Ever A new normal around staying home while sick is impossible in America. By Aaron E. Carroll](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TZaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNS8zMC9vcGluaW9uL29taWNyb24tc2ljay1sZWF2ZS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM5JmVtYz1lZGl0X3R5XzIwMjIwNjA0Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTYzMDcyJm5sPW9waW5pb24tdG9kYXkmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTk0MjQxJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [[Article Image] Igor Bastidas](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNi8wMy9vcGluaW9uL2JhYnktYm9vbWVycy1nZW4teC11cy1wb2xpdGljcy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM5JmVtYz1lZGl0X3R5XzIwMjIwNjA0Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTYzMDcyJm5sPW9waW5pb24tdG9kYXkmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTk0MjQxJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)
[Guest Essay Why Are We Still Governed by Baby Boomers and the Remarkably Old? Wouldnât the temperate sins of midlife serve our politics well just now? By Yuval Levin](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNi8wMy9vcGluaW9uL2JhYnktYm9vbWVycy1nZW4teC11cy1wb2xpdGljcy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM5JmVtYz1lZGl0X3R5XzIwMjIwNjA0Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTYzMDcyJm5sPW9waW5pb24tdG9kYXkmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTk0MjQxJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [[Article Image] Kimberly Elliott](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0ThaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNi8wMy9vcGluaW9uL3NwaXJpdHVhbC1jb2FjaGVzLXJlbGlnaW9uLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzkmZW1jPWVkaXRfdHlfMjAyMjA2MDQmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NjMwNzImbmw9b3Bpbmlvbi10b2RheSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9OTQyNDEmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmKYhUmbYux49GVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)
[Guest Essay 400 Years Ago, They Would Be Witches. Today, They Can Be Your Coach. As more and more Americans call themselves spiritual but not religious, spiritual coaches give us a glimpse of the allure and the hazards of 21st-century D.I.Y. religion. By Molly Worthen](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0ThaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNi8wMy9vcGluaW9uL3NwaXJpdHVhbC1jb2FjaGVzLXJlbGlnaW9uLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzkmZW1jPWVkaXRfdHlfMjAyMjA2MDQmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NjMwNzImbmw9b3Bpbmlvbi10b2RheSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9OTQyNDEmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmKYhUmbYux49GVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) [Article Image](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TfaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNi8wMS9vcGluaW9uL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXBhbmRlbWljLWVuZC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM5JmVtYz1lZGl0X3R5XzIwMjIwNjA0Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTYzMDcyJm5sPW9waW5pb24tdG9kYXkmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTk0MjQxJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)
[What the Pandemic Can Teach Us About Endings And heartbreak and lions and infinite hallways. By Tala Schlossberg](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TfaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNi8wMS9vcGluaW9uL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXBhbmRlbWljLWVuZC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM5JmVtYz1lZGl0X3R5XzIwMjIwNjA0Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTYzMDcyJm5sPW9waW5pb24tdG9kYXkmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTk0MjQxJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-1) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjAxODEyJmxpPVRZJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1UWV8yMDIyMDYwNFcDbnl0QgpimIVJm2LsePRlUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Subscribe Today New York Times Opinion curates a wide range of views, inviting rich discussion and debate that helps readers analyze the world. This work is made possible with the support of subscribers. [Please consider subscribing to The Times with this special offer](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRkfc6FP0TLaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS9zdWJzY3JpcHRpb24_Y2FtcGFpZ25JZD05S1hGVSZjYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zOSZlbWM9ZWRpdF90eV8yMDIyMDYwNCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD02MzA3MiZubD1vcGluaW9uLXRvZGF5JnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD05NDI0MSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYpiFSZti7Hj0ZVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). 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