The rise of the “Nones”—that share of the American populace that claims no religious affiliation—is one of the most important religion stories of the past decade. Unfortunately, its import is often misunderstood. Rather than portending the decline of American Christianity … Continue reading The Myth of the Dying Church | Book Review
Over at InfluenceMagazine.com, I interview David Kinnaman of Barna Group about its new report, Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs and Motivations Shaping the Next Generation. In my opinion, this is an excellent report for pastors–especially youth and KidMin pastors–and parents who want to understand the water in which their Gen Z kids swim. You can follow Barna Group on Facebook and Twitter. I always find its research to be thought-provoking and helpful. Episode 125 Notes 00:00 Introduction of podcast topic 00:32 MEGA Sports Camp ad copy 01:10 Welcome to David Kinnaman 01:47 Why pastors and other church leaders should pay attention … Continue reading Understanding Generation Z | Influence Podcast
American Christianity is in a parlous state. It constitutes a shrinking share of the population. And in terms of worship service attendance, most of its churches are shrinking too. Regarding share of the population, most Americans continue to identify as … Continue reading The Pietist Option | Book Review
Today, over at InfluenceMagazine.com: Heath Adamson and I talk about three outcomes for youth ministry: gospel-centeredness, Spirit-empowerment, and personal responsibility. This is episode 92 of the Influence Podcast. If you haven’t checked us out yet, make sure to listen to, … Continue reading Monday’s Influence Online Articles
Rodney Stark, The Triumph of Faith: Why the World Is More Religious Than Ever (Wilmington, DE: ISI Books, 2015). Hardcover | Kindle Fifty years ago, Anthony F. C. Wallace expressed the belief of many Western intellectuals when he wrote, “Belief in supernatural powers is doomed to die out all over the world as a result of the increasing adequacy and diffusion of scientific knowledge…. The process is inevitable.” Scientific knowledge, it was thought, would lead to material wellbeing, and material wellbeing would lead to a secular society. For mid-century Western intellectuals, the future looked godless. A funny thing happened on … Continue reading Review of ‘The Triumph of Faith’ by Rodney Stark
George F. Will pens a typically insightful essay in the most recent issue of National Affairs: “Religion and the American Republic.” The unique “angle” on this essay is Will’s identification with the 20 percent of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated, i.e., the “nones.” From his conclusion: Alexis de Tocqueville wrote Democracy in America just two generations after the American founding — two generations after Madison identified tyranny of the majority as the distinctively worst political outcome that democracy could produce. Tocqueville had a different answer to the question of what kind of despotism democratic nations should fear most. His warning is justly famous and more pertinent … Continue reading George F. Will Offers a “Nones” Perspective on “Religion and the American Republic”
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