Case Studies in Effective Chaplaincy

In October 2025, the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab hosted a webinar exploring appropriate ways to describe those often labeled as “Nones” or “Unaffiliated,” including by the Lab itself. We encourage you to check out the webinar, the recording of which is free and open to the public. Questions of self-identification, belonging, and naming are complex, personal, and fluid. Phrasing like “Nones” or “unaffiliated” or “non-religious” can obscure significant spiritual and philosophical diversity. While some may choose not to “check the box” of a historical tradition on surveys and censuses, this does not indicate they are “None.” And while we continue to refine our own discussion of these communities, we encourage you to check out some of the research we have done on the present reality and potential future of them.