There are a number of studies that suggest religiosity is related to happiness or well-being and that less religious or nonreligious individuals are not as happy as are religious individuals (Fenelon and Danielsen 2016). However, the findings on the relationship between religiosity and happiness are mixed, with some studies finding that higher levels of religiosity are related to higher levels of happiness (Krause 2003), others find the opposite (Brown and Tierney 2009), some find a more complex relationship.
Professor Cragun is a husband, father and sociologist of worldviews (in order of importance). The focus of his scholarship is on Mormonism and nonreligion. His research has been published in a variety of academic journals, such as Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Sociology of Religion, Journal of Sex Research, Journal of Religion and Health, and Journal of Contemporary Religion. He’s the author or editor of numerous books, including, Organized Secularism in the US and What You Don’t Know About Religion (but Should). When he’s not working, he’s spending time with his wife and son, hiking or tinkering with computers. He has twice received the Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award from the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education at The University of Tampa. For more about his work, you can visit his website at ryantcragun.com.