Friday, February 29, 2008
The state of religion in America
This week the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released their exhaustive study on religion in the U.S. It is significant research worth reading.
Some of the more noteworthy results include:
- nearly half (44%) of American adults are leaving the faith tradition of their upbringing to either switch allegiances or abandon religious affiliation altogether.
- nationwide, one in four adults ages 18-29 claim no affiliation with a religious institution.
- "constant movement characterizes the American religious marketplace, as every major religious group is simultaneously gaining and losing adherents." In other words, it is "a very competitive religious marketplace".
Religion is a fact of life. It is an instinctive impulse that every human has as they strive to discover meaning in life and their place in relation to others.
What is most disturbing to me is that the movement that was to rise above religion as usual has largely fallen back into a religious mode, and as a consequence is just another commodity in the spiritual marketplace of our society.
Certainly a tragedy in light of the radical life and message of Jesus.
Technorati Tags: religion, Pew, Christianity, endreligion
Some of the more noteworthy results include:
- nearly half (44%) of American adults are leaving the faith tradition of their upbringing to either switch allegiances or abandon religious affiliation altogether.
- nationwide, one in four adults ages 18-29 claim no affiliation with a religious institution.
- "constant movement characterizes the American religious marketplace, as every major religious group is simultaneously gaining and losing adherents." In other words, it is "a very competitive religious marketplace".
Religion is a fact of life. It is an instinctive impulse that every human has as they strive to discover meaning in life and their place in relation to others.
What is most disturbing to me is that the movement that was to rise above religion as usual has largely fallen back into a religious mode, and as a consequence is just another commodity in the spiritual marketplace of our society.
Certainly a tragedy in light of the radical life and message of Jesus.
Technorati Tags: religion, Pew, Christianity, endreligion
Friday, February 08, 2008
God's revolt
"Two thousand years ago God started a revolt against the religion He started. So don't ever put it past God to cause a groundswell movement against churches and Christian institutions that bear His name. If He was willing to turn Judaism upside down, don't think for a moment our institutions are safe from a divine revolt.
"I am convinced that even now there are multitudes of followers of Jesus Christ who are sick and tired of the church playing games and playing down the call of God. My travels only confirm that the murmurings of revolution are everywhere. I am convinced that there is an uprising in the works and that no one less than God is behind it."
- Erwin McManus
"I am convinced that even now there are multitudes of followers of Jesus Christ who are sick and tired of the church playing games and playing down the call of God. My travels only confirm that the murmurings of revolution are everywhere. I am convinced that there is an uprising in the works and that no one less than God is behind it."
- Erwin McManus
Monday, February 04, 2008
New edition of The End of Religion
During my long blogging hiatus one thing that caught my attention was the release of Bruxy Cavey's new book, The End of Religion: Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2007).
This is not really a new book, but an expanded re-write of his self-published book of the same titlereleased in 2005. (My review of that edition is here).
This latest edition goes well beyond the original writing, and is getting a much wider audience due to its release by a major Christian publisher.
I am not quite done reading the book, but as soon as I am I will provide a complete review. Nevertheless, it needs to be said that this book is an important contribution to a discussion that needs to occur.
Technorati Tags: religion, Christianity, Bruxy+Cavey, endreligion
This is not really a new book, but an expanded re-write of his self-published book of the same titlereleased in 2005. (My review of that edition is here).
This latest edition goes well beyond the original writing, and is getting a much wider audience due to its release by a major Christian publisher.
I am not quite done reading the book, but as soon as I am I will provide a complete review. Nevertheless, it needs to be said that this book is an important contribution to a discussion that needs to occur.
Technorati Tags: religion, Christianity, Bruxy+Cavey, endreligion
