A Catalyst for Change: A Case Study & Reflection on Culture Shift in American Evangelicalism
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A Catalyst for Change: A Case Study & Reflection on Culture Shift in American EvangelicalismBy Daniel Davis
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A Nationwide Poll* Revealed:
In 1999, 65% of Americans believed that religion was losing its
influence in public life…
At the same time, a nearly equal amount, 62% claimed that the
influence of religion was increasing in their personal lives.
*Roof, Wade Clark. 1999. Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press.
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And the Survey Says:GSS: In 1985, 4.6% of U.S. Christians claimed no official denominational affiliation. In 2004, this had arisen to 18.5%.A Barna Poll (2009) found that between 4% to 33% of the U.S. population will say they have attended a house church in the last 30 days depending on how the question is worded.
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Nationwide:Gallup, 1964: “Have you undergone a religious experience of some variety?”
20% YesGSS, 2004: “Do you feel God’s presence on a daily basis?”
60% YesBaylor, 2008: “I felt called by God to do something.”
44% Yes“I heard the voice of God speaking to me.”
20% Yes
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Richard Flory & Don Miller, USC
“Rationalistic apologetics are largely irrelevant to [GenX] religious commitments,
having been replaced by an experience-based epistemology.”
From: GenX Religion (2000)
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Richard Flory & Don Miller, USC
The Key Findings, Shifts in Five Areas:
1. Church Service Style 2. Organizational Structure 3. Locus of Ministry Emphasis4. Issues of Diversity 5. Primary Source of Authority
From: GenX Religion (2000)
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Pre-Boomer BoomerPost-Boomer*Styl
eStructure
Focus
Diversity
Authority
*Post-Boomer Column Adapted from Flory & Miller (2000)
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Pre-Boomer BoomerPost-BoomerStyl
e
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Pre-Boomer BoomerPost-BoomerStructu
re
Assortive Networks Disassortive Networks
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Pre-Boomer BoomerPost-BoomerFoc
us
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Pre-Boomer BoomerPost-BoomerDiversit
y
Gene Robinson
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Pre-Boomer BoomerPost-BoomerAuthority
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Summarizing ThemesThe shifts can be linked to broader nationwide
generational religious shifts. Mainline churches hit plateau after 1950;
multiple studies show that Evangelicalism hit plateau after 1990.
If new startup movements will have staying power is yet to be seen. They are organizationally more fragile.
Mainline denominations may have an opportunity to reclaim some ‘religious market-share’ in the next couple decades if their crisis induces a deep enough sense of urgency for change.