The Development of Christianity in the USA - Book Report/Review Example

? Running head: Book Report for Development of Christian Thought “The Empty Church: The Suicide of Liberal Christianity.” (By Thomas Reeves) Christianity in America is on the decline according to Robert D. Putman and David Campbell, in their work – American Grace. Theirs is a two way viewpoint, which in summary encapsulates the downward trend that is being experienced in churches today being all over America, race or class stratification notwithstanding. The book, summarized in an article – Walking away from the Church – (17th Times Op-Ed 2010), by them, is observant of the fact that a majority of Americans, especially applicable to the younger generations, are losing faith in their religions. Despite the fact that Christianity began as one entity, there has been many break ups and versions. People define several issues that are pertinent to them that make them choose to start their own versions of Christian groupings. More and more Americans are becoming non-religious at a momentous pace, with church attendance being affected. Christianity is on the decline, as a whole, with major conservative denominations losing ground. This trend has been brought about by an ostentatious mix of mass consumerism, advances in both science and technology and the presence of secure prosperity. Christianity, being the most popular and largest religion in the United States, accounts for a rough figure of 60 to 70 percent of the total American population. The different Protestant denominations accounts for a half of the Christian population, while Roman Catholicism accounts for 23 percent of remainder making it the largest individual denomination. This shows the development of Christianity in USA (Reeves, 1996). Liberal Christianity is attributed to the era of Enlightenment, which witnessed the en masse secularization of society. American religious observance is higher than in Europe, with the United States’ cultural leaning being on or towards the Conservative side. This liberalization sought to bring in new approaches that were critical to the Bible. As a terminology, Liberal Christianity covers both ideals and movements within the nineteenth and twentieth Century that impacted significantly on Christianity as a whole. Christian Orthodoxy began to be questioned as new attitudes began to emerge. This liberalization process, coupled with growing wealth creation and a growing corporate-consumer culture, has ensured that the American population has had a comfortable, stable and safe middle-class lifestyle at least to the majority of Americans. This has in turn witnessed a significant lose of organized faith that has consequently resulted to a decline in a majority of the American people’s personal faith (Reeves, 1996). Conservative Christianity, the ‘Right’, had dominated the mainstream American culture up to the advent of world war one. Capital, in its ever increasing search for greater profits, has necessitated the need to converting a majority of the American population; that was then characterized as being pious, prudent churchgoers into materialistic consumers. This thus heralded the advent of “Consumer Christianity”, as Thomas Reeves encapsulated in his book - The Empty Church: The Suicide of Liberal Christianity (Reeves, 1996). The materialistic consumer finds that his/her life is centered on the acquisition of both credit and monies so as to satisfy their earthly/ bodily desires. Most of the laws, previously used to keep Americans conservative and/ or pious, have been either repealed or done away with. The polarization of America’s Christian religion and religious movements has appreciably aided to the rise in church un-attendance resulting from the decline in youthful belief. The secularization process, of the 1960s, brought about a significant increase in the rejection of traditional religion (Reeves, 1996). As the aging population, which was raised in conservative religion, is replaced by their offspring, so too does the traditional religion by more secularized and modernized forms of religious practices and movements. Conversely, as there is an increase in the shift in religious observance, a portion of the American society has angrily rejected this shift; reacting by turning to the religious right (Conservatism or Fundamentalism). Clashes between these two antagonistic parties has been witnessed on a number of issues ranging from legalization of abortion and gay marriages, to genetic engineering and modification processes applying to food and produce production, environmental issues among other issues (Reeves, 1996). The book talks on other different issues such as cultural assimilation and intermixing, the advent of science and technology, the need for preservation of ‘Capital’ through the continuation of Capitalism as the dominant political thought, the liberalization process and the antagonistic nature that is ever so evident in the American Christian society. The minorities are based on charismatic movements, while the majorities are in the Episcopal movements that pertain to the Christian religion in America. Antagonisms are present due to the various differences that are often than not irreconcilable. The differences are based on their beliefs, first and foremost on who God really is, on the Trinitarian understanding of God, and also on the various ideological, theological and ethical impasses that are characteristic of the present day Protestant Church (Reeves, 1996). Questions do arise as to who really is the Living God?, to whom all Christians confess, or as to whether this God can transform not only the evangelical mainstream, but also the worldview or theology of the minority groups/ movements. Why do the more fundamentalist and evangelical denominations increase in membership; continually, while the mainstream protestant churches are on the decline in terms of membership? Is the churches involvement in the political and social spheres a reason for the decline in membership? Are some of the questions that are pending (Reeves, 1996)? In conclusion, the author is based or biased (as some would say), towards the ‘Centrist’ theology. He does come out in a very critical manner on the notion of liberalism, but also touching on the conservative nature of the ‘Right- wing’ Christianity. He believes that the seven sister protestant churches can bring a shift to this trend which I disagree with. It is up to the local church leadership and administration to steer their churches towards the correct path. This book has offered a clear and concise look into the Christian religion and other aspects that identify it. It has also brought up several dimensions of Christianity. Reference Reeves, T. (1996). The Empty Church: The Suicide of Liberal Christianity. New York: Free Press . Read More