ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the significant proportion of young adults who identity with a religion and have some religious beliefs, but pair this with little to no religious or spiritual behavior. This group, known as marginal, nominal, cultural or fuzzy affiliates in the existing literature, is often lumped together with nonreligious individuals. Yet, there are some important distinctions to make between these two types of individuals. Religious identity plays an important cultural and family heritage role for the cultural believer Millennial, giving them a sense of belonging and place in the world. It also in turn tends to affect their attitudes toward others considered as outsiders or members of out-groups, such as religious minorities and immigrants. The cultural believer Millennial also acts as a bridge in many ways between more religious and spiritual Millennials on the one hand and nonreligious Millennials on the other, especially as a transitional group toward nonreligion.
