Why do religious people believe? In this work, Smith describes and interprets the results of interviews conducted with Mormons and Evangelicals about their reasons for faith. Social, spiritual, and rational contributions to faith all receive careful analysis.

Adults in a free society believe--or do not believe--for many reasons. The people around us influence our religious beliefs. The pressure to believe can be helpful or hurtful--or both. Religious experience is often central. People believe that they have encountered God in ways that are faith-affirming. But how can we know whether these experiences are authentically spiritual and not just psychological? And which beliefs are actually being confirmed by such experiences? Finally, reason sometimes confirms and sometimes undermines faith. To what extent should religious beliefs be based on evidence? Should we allow reason to override religious experience? Smith addresses all these issues--and more--and in the end recommends a particular approach to faith that integrates the sociological, spiritual, and rational elements of religion.