Polls and studies show that people in the developed world are increasingly moving away from religion. Given the rapid trend towards more secular societies in parts of Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, it’s possible that in just a few decades, many cultures will have no central religious tradition at all. But where will that leave us? Happily in pursuit of romantic love and material wealth, or still desiring a deeper form of fulfillment? In What Comes After Religion?, the UK-based author and philosopher Alain de Botton argues that the human needs which religion has fulfilled for centuries – community, a longing for transcendent beauty, a deeper sense of purpose – will still exist in the absence of religious belief. How we replace it will be an ongoing challenge in the brave new secular world.

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