Demography, Culture, and the Decline of Americas Christian Denominations

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

This book examines the state of Christianity in the United States, considering trends in religious beliefs and affiliation over the last forty years. It seeks to explain why so many of Americas largest denominations have witnessed such a dramatic decline during this period. It argues that, although there are many elements to this decline, the shrinking families of Americansincluding American Christiansare a primary explanation for our aging and shrinking Christian congregations. Beyond establishing this explanation for organized decline, this book also offers a survey of the relevant research explaining why more and more Americans are deferring family formation and having fewer (in many cases, zero) children. It discusses the relevant social science research on this subject, which focuses heavily on the role of economic change. It also summarizes the relevant research on cultural change and the family, particularly the relationship between religious beliefs and activities and changing family norms.

Reviews

Hawley presents an interesting synthesis of cultural and demographic explanations for the trajectory of contemporary American Christian groups. Many readers will find the demographic assessments of particular religious denominations interesting and useful. It is an exceptionally useful text for ministers and seminaries. -- Darren Sherkat, SIU Carbondale
Hawley has done American Christianity a major service by writing this book. From parish pastors to denominational leaders, allneed to comprehend the underlying demographic factors that have contributed to declining numbers in both mainline and evangelical denominations. But Hawley goes beyond mere head countingtying in cultural trends, the changing makeup of the family, and other insights from his work as a political scientist.We Christians operate under the Lord's care and approach the future with confidence in His providence. But that doesn't mean we can ignore the trends unfolding before our eyes.Any Christian interested in faithfully charting a course for his parish or denomination under the Lord's care into a challenging future will benefit from reading Hawley's work. -- H. R. Curtis, Coordinator for Stewardship, The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod

Author Bio

George Hawley is assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama.