The Churching Of America, 1776-2005

by Finke, Roger; Stark, Rodney

• ISBN13: 9780813535531
• ISBN10: 0813535530
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-04-25
• Publisher: Rutgers Univ Pr

Summary

In 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. They explain how and why the early nineteenth-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 "church-sect 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 churching 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 that religious organizations can thrive only when they comfort souls and demand sacrifice. When theology becomes too logical, or too secular, it loses people.

Author Biography

Roger Finke is a professor of sociology and religious studies at the Pennsylvania State University and serves as the director of the American Religion Data Archive

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	vii
List of Figures	ix
List of Tables	xi
Preface to the Second Edition	xiii
1 A New Approach to American Religious History	1	(24)
2 The Colonial Era Revisited	25	(30)
3 The Upstart Sects Win America, 1776-1850	55	(62)
4 The Coming of the Catholics, 1850-1926	117	(39)
5 Methodists Transformed, Baptists Triumphant	156	(41)
6 Why Unification Efforts Fail	197	(38)
7 Why "Mainline" Denominations Decline	235	(50)
Appendix: Profile Tables, 1776 and 1850	285	(10)
Notes	295	(10)
Reference List	305	(28)
Index	333