Around two-thirds of Australians say we believe in God or some ‘higher power’, but less than 10% attend church weekly. What does this discrepancy mean? As a nation, our attachment to a traditional idea of God seems to be waning, yet our desire for a life of meaning remains as strong as ever.

What makes a meaningful life? How do we find spiritual fulfilment in an avowedly secular age? Why do we have the tendency to call on God in a crisis?

In his latest research, social researcher, writer and commentator Hugh Mackay exposes the deep vein of ambivalence about religion that runs through our society: we may not actively worship, but we still like to see local churches operating in our midst, and we use ‘our’ church to marry, christen our babies, educate our children and commemorate our dead. He points out some uncomfortable truths, such as our tendency to call on God only in a crisis, and unpacks our human need for ‘answers’, even when science can’t find them