The biggest story in American religion is the dramatic rise of the “nones”—people who say they are atheist, agnostic or have no particular religious faith. Last year we conducted the largest-ever survey of nones, with 12,000 participants.

One-third of nonreligious people fall into a category we call the “dones,” because they are finished with religion altogether and want nothing to do with it. Then there are the “zealous nones,” because they are evangelical about their unbelief.

But the majority of nonreligious non-Americans have a more complicated attitude toward spirituality. 21% are called “nones in name only”: over half of this group says they pray daily, and a third attend some kind of religious service at least once a year. And 66% say they feel drawn toward spirituality but are much more resistant to the idea of organized religion.

The researchers conclude, “The majority of nonreligious Americans do yearn for some kind of connection with a higher power. This suggests that a religious revival is certainly possible in the U.S., so long as the nones aren’t seen as a problem to be solved, but a group that needs to be better understood.”