Gallup Editor-in-Chief Frank Newport examines religion in America today, reviews just how powerfully intertwined religion is with every aspect of American society, and explores what appears to be religion’s vibrant future in the U.S. — all based on more than a million interviews conducted by Gallup since 2008.

Popular books by the “New Atheists” dismiss religion as a delusional artifact of ancient superstitions. But should millions of Americans’ beliefs and behaviors be tossed aside that quickly?

Not at all, says Frank Newport, former Gallup Editor-in-Chief. Religion is as powerful and influential as it’s ever been in American society. In contrast to the views of the New Atheists, Newport argues that the significance of the persistent presence of religion in America isn’t mass delusion but actually mass consequence.

In God Is Alive and Well, Newport provides a new evidence-based perspective on Americans’ religious beliefs and practices, while offering heady, controversial predictions about religion’s future in the U.S. The book looks at religion in America from the important angles of age, gender, class, race, family status, geographic region and more. It boldly dissects religion’s important relationship with politics and notes that Americans may increasingly come to recognize the mounting evidence that religion is good for their wellbeing and health.

Grounded in more than a million Gallup interviews, this book shows that not only do a majority of Americans believe in God and say that religion is important — but that religion is intertwined in most aspects of their daily lives. It’s entirely possible, Newport argues, that religion will be even more important in the years ahead.