Christianity in the Twenty-first Century: Reflections on the Challenges Ahead

260 Pages·1995·12.44 MB·English

by  Robert Wuthnow

Christianity in the Twenty-first Century
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Christianity
in the Twenty-firs t
Century
Reflections on the Challenges Ahead
ROBERT WUTHNO W
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York Oxfor d
Oxford University Press
Oxford Ne w York
Athens Aucklan d Bangko k Bomba y
Calcutta Cap e Town Da r es Salaam Delh i
Florence Hon g Kong Istanbu l Karach i
Kuala Lumpur Madra s Madri d Melbourn e
Mexico City Nairob i Pan s Singapor e
Taipei Toky o Toront o
and associated companies in
Berlin Ibada n
Copyright © 1993 by Robert Wuthnow
First published in 1993 by Oxford University Press, Inc ,
198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016-4314
First issued as an Oxford University Press paperback, 1995
Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of Oxford University Press
Library of Congress CataJogmg-m-Publication Data
Wuthnow, Robert
Christianity in the twenty-first century reflection s
on the challenges ahead / Robert Wuthnow.
p c m Include s bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-19-507957-4
ISBN 0-19-509651-7 (PBK )
I. Christianity—United States
2. Twenty-first century—Forecasts.
I Tide
BR52.6.W88 199 3 277.3'08 — dczo
91-28689
3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Introduction: Th e Future in the Present, 3
I
Institutional Challenges:
Community, Identity, and the Role of the Church
1. Churc h and Culture, 19
Congregations and Culture, 20
The Challenge of Diversity, 24
The future of the Church, 28
2. Ca n the Church Sustain Community? 32
The Varieties of Community, 33
The Church and Individualism, 38
The New Voluntarism, 39
What of the Future? 40
3. A Place for the Christian, 42
The Church as Community of Memory, 4 6
The Church as Denomination, 49
The Church as Support Group, 51
vi Contents
II
Ethical Challenges:
Role Models, Stories, and Learning How to Care
4. Storie s to Live By, 57
The Ethical Challenge, 58
Stories of Lave, 59
Beyond Our Parents, 61
From Stories to Action, 68
The Role of Christianity, 70
5. Th e Saints in Our World , 72
Who Embodies Compassion? 73
The Symbolic Value of Contemporary Saints, 78
Exemplars of Our Individualism, So
6. Ethica l Ambivalence, 83
Uncomfortable i n the Presence of God, 84
Learning to Interpret Stones, 85
Looking for Principles, 87
The Worth of the Individual, 88
Community (Again), 90
Small Lessons, 93
Ill
Doctrinal Challenges:
Pluralism, Polarity, and the Character of Belief
7. Religiou s Orientations, 99
Transcendent Meaning, 99
Varieties of Belief, 10 2
Consequences of Religious Outlooks, 104
The Public Dimension, 105
Influences o n Religious Belief, 105
Aspects of Religious Pluralism, 107
8. Th e Future of Fundamentalism, 109
The Environment of Christian Fundamentalism, n o
The Dynamics of Christian Fundamentalism, 115
The Culture of Christian Fundamentalism, 120
Coda, 124
Contents vii
9. Fundamentalis m and Its Discontents, 125
Haw Liberals Let Fundamentalists Set the Agenda, 127
Fundamentalism and the Future, 130
Can Liberals Seize the Initiative?, 133
-IV-
Political Challenges:
Christianity and Conflict in the Public Realm
10. Fait h and Public Affairs, 139
The Polarization of Liberals and Conservatives, 140
The Character of Public Religion, 144
What of the Future? 148
11. Th e Future of the Religious Right, 151
Predisposing Circumstances, 152
Organizational Factors, 156
Sources of Societal Strain, 158
Resources That Can Be Mobilized, 160
Factors That Dampen Movements, 164
A Cautious Forecast, 166
12. Religio n and Symbolic Politics, 168
Politics and the Public Sphere, 170
Reinforcing a Public Agenda, 172
Insiders and Outsiders, 174
The Politics of Morality, 176
The Power of the Holy, 178
V
Cultural Challenges:
The Possibilities of Faith for Constructing Personal Lives
13. Th e Quest for Identity, 183
A Story, 183
The Character of Identity, 184
Religion and the Pursuit of Identity, 187
A Link to the Wider Society, 190
viii Contents
14. Maladie s of the Middle Class, 192
The Challenge of Materialism, 193
Diversions from Our Discontent, 197
Ministries to and of the Middle Class, 200
15. Livin g the Question, 203
Beware the Christian, 203
Tour of the Underground, 206
Faith ana Critical Thought, 208
Living the Question, 209
Epilogue, 213
Notes, 219
Selected Bibliography, 237
Index, 245
Christianity in the Twenty-first Century