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You know the drill – this is from a discussion we are having from on my classes. Rough draft, maybe, and still working on it. Basically, the format is this: Two paragraphs on what stands out, one on further discussion and one on implications for ministry. Personally, I found this book… different:
The author’s point, I believe, is better made in almost the middle of the book when he begins to write about the ‘institutionalization’ of the relationship between society and religion (p158). I say that this is the point because for the previous few chapters, numbers are thrown out to show that our institutions, such as marriage and other developmental decisions, are changing for a large section of our population. As these traits become instilled (think Western Europe) in our society at large, what will that do to our pre-existing institutions, such as the Church? Wuthnow is correct that institutions underwent a massive change in the 1830’s leaving us with institutions which remain, or at least remained, until the 1960’s. Now, we are in a period of transition, due to such things as education, a move from a manufacturing based society to a service economy, and the influx of sometimes radically different voices and values into our culture. The author makes a fine point that change has happened and is happening now in the way our generation approaches religion. For example, Wuthonow notes that ‘orthodoxy’ is shifting for many. While it may be professed, it is not always lived or expressed as professed (p122). My concern here is that Wuthnow never fully defines orthodoxy which is different, he rightly notes, among Mainline and Evangelical church goers. While reading, we are often left wondering what things such as ‘orthodox’, ‘evangelical’ and ‘biblical literalist’ may actually mean to the author and to the respondents on the various surveys. Often times, people consider themselves one way and will use the same words to define themselves as such that another person would use in a radically different way. While the book may not deal expressly with the issue of doctrines, this issue has an impact on conversion by the numbers, especially given the perchance that many evangelicals see salvation as a momentary event in time obtained through a simple prayer and an addition to the church roll. It is these institutions, such as orthodoxy and biblical literalism, which are changing as well.
In chapter 10, the author speaks to the issues of the information age on the internet superhighway as opposed to the television age which dominated the baby boomer generation. Today, we hear about virtual churches which offer virtual communion, prayers, and other orders of the faith via such things as streaming video, twitter, and social networks, which I suspect is different than the virtual church imagined by the author. Having published this book in 2007, I would be interested in his take on the rise of such ventures which serve only to further individualize the religious experience and degrade the community. It is interesting to note, then, the change between 2007 and today in which blogs, Facebook, and Twitter have entered into the daily use of young adults. Now, ministers are being encouraged to use such tools to reach more for the Kingdom, Gospel, or local congregation. Further, the use of internet to ‘church shop’ (p114-117), to cross boundaries (p126) of religion, and to engage politics and other cultural issues as a way of negotiating (p124) these new communities is growing as evidenced by the inclusion of the phrase ‘google it’ into our daily conversations. When I started to look for a new church, I ‘googled it’ and finding what I wanted, I made my first visit. To be frank, the church website was nice, but in my opinion, could have used some work; however, in comparisons to congregations with no web presence, even a mediocre website draws my attention more than a Whitepages.com listing. I believe that even in 2007, and quoting from a survey completed in 2001, the author is presenting the case for the ‘new form of information technology’ (p209) as a means for many to reach out or to seek religious experiences. I would imagine, however, that if the same survey was made today, the numbers would be vastly different, and that Wuthnow would draw a different conclusion than he has (p212 third paragraph from the top).
What he doesn’t do is to remove himself from the pitfalls of too little information. Wuthnow’s assumption that Evangelicalism’s dogmas are easily known and recognized left me wondering about his classification system. Further, his reliance upon the simplistic idea espoused by many regarding biblical literalism leaves a lot of people unclassified. While his first few chapters seem to deal with both Evangelicals and Biblical Literalism, the author simply doesn’t go into the mechanics of why evangelicals are holding their own and only generally mentions that the decline of Mainline denominations may be more geographically centered than doctrinally considered. I believe that he hints at the fact that as Evangelicals continue to become more educated, the uncertainty of growth becomes ever present, especially given what modern Evangelicalism is based upon. Further, I don’t think he gives Putman’s theory its due (p38) and only skirts the idea that as we become more individualist, Mainline denominations which see salvation as a more corporate event will decline.
Wuthnow’s work provides some serious implications for those who are considering ministry of any sort, whether starting in the ministry or one who is long in ministry, facing a decline in the congregation, and looking for a renewal. He is correct, that survival of the American church is not a set in stone decision, but based on the traditional ethic of work (p230). Will ministers ‘roll up their sleeves,’ taking the information present in such avenues as this book to heart and start to look for a way not around the statistics, but through the statistics? While the message should not change, the delivery and the targeting must. What is prevalent is the idea that the nature of American religion is changing because the nature of American society is changing. Information is becoming democratized, and as such, people need something more in depth, more lasting, and maybe even something with questions, or at least room for doubt. There needs to be room for diversity, especially theological diversity, which is something that I’ve held over from Daniels’ book Seven Deadly Spirits as well as a real address to the issue of a continuing individualization of the Christian faith. Further, ministers must not forget their demographics. From the slowing of life decisions to the polarization in society, if ministers forget to whom they are called to serve, and instead relax into the myth of a golden age which once was and which is yet to come, they will be blind to the needs of the present community.
Joel Landon Watts is a Masters of Theological Studies student with a focus in Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark. His interests include exploring the role of mimesis in human civilization, specifically in the study of religion and media, as well as science fiction and the way in which it has allowed mythology to be explored in light of scientific ideals of the past century. Currently, he is a TA for Old Testament at United Theological Seminary under Dr. Vivian Johnson, Associate Professor of Old Testament. His first book, Rhetorical Strategies of the Evangelist: Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark, is expected to be published by Wipf and Stock early next year. He is currently co-editing a book on moving from Fear to Faith (Energion, 2013).
