In his youth, Alan lived in Lancaster, CA, where he was very homeschooled by his mother. At 16, he finished high school and began attending Antelope Valley College. He met his wife, Brittany, at AVC. Alan continued his undergraduate work at the Cal State Bakersfield satellite campus at AVC, earning his degree in English. Then he earned his Master's in English at CSUB-AV. In 2007, Richard Clark contacted Alan about joining a new venture he was starting called Christ and Pop Culture. That November, Alan began writing and then editing for the site. Brittany and Alan moved to Waco, TX to pursue graduate degrees at Baylor University in 2008. Charles Taylor's work on secularism and the self formed the theoretical basis for the dissertation and much of Alan's later writing. While in Waco, Brittany and Alan had two children, Eleanor and Quentin, and they attended Redeemer Presbyterian Church. At nights, Alan continued to write and edit for Christ and Pop Culture, now with the title Managing Editor. In the fall of 2014, the Nobles moved to Shawnee, OK, where Alan accepted a position as Assistant Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University. After Richard Clark left Christ and Pop Culture for Christianity Today, Alan became editor-in-chief at the site. At this time, Alan began writing for The Atlantic, Christianity Today, and First Things, particularly on issues related to pluralism and secularism. The Nobles' third child, Frances, was born in 2015. As the 2016 election ramped up, Alan launched the group Public Faith with Michael Wear to offer an alternative evangelical political voice. He also joined The AND Campaign as an advisor. Alan has written articles for Christian publications such as Modern Reformation, InTouch Magazine, and Christianity Today and for secular publications like VOX, Buzzfeed, and The Atlantic. He has been interviewed, quoted, or cited in a number of major publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, MTV News, MSNBC, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Politico, Village Voice, Yahoo! News, ThinkProgress, The Blaze, WORLD Magazine, and Slate. And he has spoken at colleges, churches, and youth groups on a range of topics related to the church and culture. The Nobles attend Shawnee Presbyterian Church.