Atheism in the Shadows: Negotiating Identity in a Faith-Oriented Culture

Authors

  • Prince Kennex R. Aldama University of Bonn; University of the Philippines Los Baños Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63798/052j6310

Keywords:

atheism, phenomenology, religious diversity, secularism

Abstract

This paper explores how Filipino atheists experience and interpret atheism within a predominantly religious society. Grounded in Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological approach, the study is based on comprehensive interviews with seven individuals who self-identify as atheists. Five key themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Atheism as a Path to Intellectual Freedom, (2) Atheism as a Process of Inner Conflict and Understanding, (3) Atheism as an Expression of Moral Independence, (4) Atheism and the Burden of Silence, and (5) Atheism as Social Tension and Subtle Defiance. These findings underscore that atheism in the Philippine context is more than the rejection of theism; it represents a multifaceted negotiation of thought, emotion, and social interaction. For participants, atheism offered both empowerment and constraint—enabling critical reflection and ethical self-governance while also requiring discretion in a culture where religious belief permeates family life, education, and national identity. By engaging with scholarly perspectives that view atheism as both a worldview and a social identity, this study contributes fresh insights from Southeast Asia. It underscores the importance of acknowledging secular identities within religious-majority societies and calls for more inclusive and critical engagement with non-religious perspectives in the Global South.

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Author Biography

  • Prince Kennex R. Aldama, University of Bonn; University of the Philippines Los Baños

    Prince Kennex Aldama is a sociologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. He teaches sociology of religion and political sociology. He finished BA in Sociology (cum laude) in 2013 and MA in Sociology in 2019, both at UPLB. His main research interest is in the sociology of religion. His publications in local and international journals tackle the changing religious identities and state of religious diversity in the Philippines. Asst. Prof. Aldama has also authored various textbooks for tertiary education including the "The Contemporary World" published by REX Education. At the same time, he makes sure that his works are accessible to the public by writing opinion pieces for Rappler and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He has delivered lectures on religion, education, and politics in various higher education institutions in the country. He is also a recipient of the UP 2021 International Publication Award. Asst. Prof. Aldama also held administrative positions. He was a program coordinator for curriculum development in the UPLB-Office for Institutional Development in Higher Education. In 2021, at the age of 28, he was elected as Vice President the Philippine Sociological Society or PSS, the organization of sociologists in the Philippines. And in 2022, he was elected as PSS President. With a scholarship from the German Research Foundation, he is currently pursuing his doctorate at the Department of Southeast Asian Studies, Institute of Oriental and Asian Studies at the University of Bonn in Germany. 

Published

2025-05-23

How to Cite

Aldama, P. K. (2025). Atheism in the Shadows: Negotiating Identity in a Faith-Oriented Culture. IRODEO Conference Transactions, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.63798/052j6310

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