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?
Religion helps forge communities and gives us purpose. How will we replace it?
Director: Jonathan Hodgson
Website: The School of Life

videoPhilosophy of religion
What place does God have in an affluent, suburban world? A pastor explores
26 minutes

videoCosmopolitanism
Is the introspection of self-help and therapy hurting our ability to empathise?
10 minutes

videoDeath
Even in modern secular societies, belief in an afterlife persists. Why?
9 minutes

videoThinkers and theories
‘Defend love as a real, risky adventure’ – philosopher Alain Badiou on modern romance
15 minutes

videoReligion
Why some Chinese millennials are taking up the hermit’s life in the mountains
11 minutes

videoEthics
BBC producer John Lloyd argues against the cult of knowledge and information
2 minutes

videoHistory of ideas
For proof that love is timeless, consider how long philosophers have debated it
6 minutes

videoValues and beliefs
A reflection on the spiritual rituals of five five-year-olds from five religions
5 minutes

videoAnthropology
Margaret Mead explains why the family was entering a brave new world in this 1959 film
29 minutes