Living Well Together in a (non)Religious Future: Contributions from the Sociology of Religion

How is the work of sea turtle rescue volunteers framed by their understanding of themselves and the world/cosmos? This article explores how sea turtle rescue volunteers negotiate their connection with these nonhuman animals, and how they understand their relationship to other people who also work on sea turtle conservation. Results show that those who are involved in sea turtle conservation emphasize a sense of cooperation and interdependence between species, and focus on similarities rather than differences across life forms, including with other human beings. Moreover, for those who identify as nonreligious, sea turtle rescue as a site of research offers insight into an emerging way of engaging with and conceptualizing the world that sociologists of religion are uniquely positioned to describe, measure, and understand. Examining such sites of action and activism contributes to a deeper understanding of the contours of both religion and nonreligion and their relationship to each other.