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Churching of America by Roger Finke (1992, Hardcover)

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But, as Finke and Stark show, not all denominations benefited from this growth. Finke and Stark challenge this as well. They argue thatreligious organizations can thrive only when they comfort souls and demand sacrifice.

About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherRutgers University Press

ISBN-100813518377

ISBN-139780813518374

eBay Product ID (ePID)846644

Product Key Features

Number of Pages344 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication NameChurching of America

SubjectChristian Church / History, Agnosticism, Sociology of Religion

Publication Year1992

TypeTextbook

AuthorRoger Finke

Subject AreaReligion, Social Science

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height1 in

Item Weight24.1 Oz

Item Length9 in

Item Width6 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceCollege Audience

LCCN91-045908

IllustratedYes

SynopsisIn this provocative book, Roger Finke and Rodney Stark challenge popular perceptions about American religion. They view the religious environment as a free market economy, where churches compete for souls. The story they tell is one of gains for upstart sects and losses for mainline denominations. Although many Americans assume that religious participation has declined in America, Finke and Stark present a different picture. In 1776, fewer than 1 in 5 Americans were active in church affairs. Today, church membership includes about 6 out of 10 people. But, as Finke and Stark show, not all denominations benefited from this growth. They explain how and why the leading eighteenth-century churches began their descent, while two newcomer sects, the Baptists and the Methodists, gained ground. They also analyze why the Methodists then began a long, downward slide, why the Baptists continued to succeed, how the Catholic Church met the competition of ardent Protestant missionaries, and why the Catholic commitment has declined since Vatican II. The authors also explain why ecumenical movements always fail. In short, Americans are not abandoning religion; they have been moving away from established denominations. A "sect-church process" is always under way, Finke and Stark argue, as successful churches lose their organizational vigor and are replaced by less worldly groups. Some observers assert that the rise in church membership rates indicates increased participation, not increased belief. Finke and Stark challenge this as well. They find that those groups that have gained the greatest numbers have demanded that their followers accept traditional doctrines and otherworldliness. They argue thatreligious organizations can thrive only when they comfort souls and demand sacrifice. When theology becomes too logical, or too secular, it loses people.

LC Classification NumberBR515.F56 1992