American Evangelicalism: Embattled and Thriving

by Smith, Christian

• ISBN13: 9780226764191
• ISBN10: 0226764192
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-10-01
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

Evangelicalism is one of the strongest religious traditions in America today; 20 million Americans identify themselves with the evangelical movement. Given the modern pluralistic world we live in, why is evangelicalism so popular? Based on a national telephone survey and more than three hundred personal interviews with evangelicals and other churchgoing Protestants, this study provides a detailed analysis of the commitments, beliefs, concerns, and practices of this thriving group. Examining how evangelicals interact with and attempt to influence secular society, this book argues that traditional, orthodox evangelicalism endures not despite, but precisely because of, the challenges and structures of our modern pluralistic environment. This work also looks beyond evangelicalism to explore more broadly the problems of traditional religious belief and practice in the modern world. With its impressive empirical evidence, innovative theory, and substantive conclusions, American Evangelicalism will provoke lively debate over the state of religious practice in contemporary America.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Maps	ix
Preface	xi
Resurrecting Engaged Orthodoxy	1	(19)
Evangelicalism Thriving	20	(47)
Explaining Religious Vitality in America	67	(22)
Toward a ``Subcultural Identity'' Theory of Religious Strength	89	(31)
Evangelicalism Embattled	120	(34)
Excursus: Belief Plausibility in Modern America	154	(24)
Ironies of Subcultural Distinction---Strength and Ineffectiveness	178	(40)
Conclusion	218	(3)
Appendix A: Research Methods	221	(12)
Appendix B: On Religious Identities	233	(15)
Appendix C: Interview Guides	248	(10)
Appendix D: Telephone Survey	258	(33)
References	291	(14)
Index	305