Mark Driscoll makes a vital distinction about what the polls about Christianity in American are measuring:
Christian America is comprised of those people who have had a truly transforming experience with Jesus Christ and are living new lives as practicing Christians. Experts such as sociologist Bradford Wilcox at the University of Virginia have well documented the fact that those who practice Christian faith by reading their Bibles regularly, attending church, praying, and so forth are far less likely to engage in acts such as adultery, divorce, substance abuse, and the like.
Christendom America is comprised of those people who have not had a truly transforming experience with Jesus Christ and are living lives virtually indistinguishable from those who are non-Christians. The confusion is that it was common in Christendom for people who did not practice Christianity to profess Christianity. This was often done for social reasons, such as living in a culture that expected church affiliation, being born into a religious tradition and assuming it was simply part of one’s identity (like a cultural or racial connection), or personally, socially, and vocationally benefiting from being connected, even loosely, to a church or denomination. Researchers such as George Barna have documented the fact that, as Jesus himself said, not everyone who says he or she is a Christian is in fact one.
Subsequently, the Newsweek report simply confirms the fact that, just as Christendom has died in Europe and the major American cities, it is now dying in the suburban and rural areas of America as well. With the social benefits of professing to be a Christian no longer in place and the social stigma of not professing to be a Christian now lifted, those who were part of Christendom America are simply no longer pretending to be part of Christian America.
Since those who professed faith but did not practice faith were confusing to account for, this is actually a good thing. Now, it is more likely that if someone is a Christian or non-Christian, he or she will state so plainly.
Therefore, the number of Christians has likely not diminished as much as has been reported, but rather we are seeing an increasingly accurate accounting of actual Christian America.
Christendom America is comprised of those people who have not had a truly transforming experience with Jesus Christ and are living lives virtually indistinguishable from those who are non-Christians. The confusion is that it was common in Christendom for people who did not practice Christianity to profess Christianity. This was often done for social reasons, such as living in a culture that expected church affiliation, being born into a religious tradition and assuming it was simply part of one’s identity (like a cultural or racial connection), or personally, socially, and vocationally benefiting from being connected, even loosely, to a church or denomination. Researchers such as George Barna have documented the fact that, as Jesus himself said, not everyone who says he or she is a Christian is in fact one.
Subsequently, the Newsweek report simply confirms the fact that, just as Christendom has died in Europe and the major American cities, it is now dying in the suburban and rural areas of America as well. With the social benefits of professing to be a Christian no longer in place and the social stigma of not professing to be a Christian now lifted, those who were part of Christendom America are simply no longer pretending to be part of Christian America.
Since those who professed faith but did not practice faith were confusing to account for, this is actually a good thing. Now, it is more likely that if someone is a Christian or non-Christian, he or she will state so plainly.
Therefore, the number of Christians has likely not diminished as much as has been reported, but rather we are seeing an increasingly accurate accounting of actual Christian America.
(HT: Between Two Worlds)
Good that we are getting a more accurate accounting of numbers of actual Christians.
However, it also implies that Christianity is having less influence on culture than ever.
Posted by: Mike Westfall | May 21, 2009 at 09:55 AM
Oh mark you wonderful man.
Posted by: Shame and Dishonour | May 21, 2009 at 11:28 AM
or we didnt really have it to begin with. at least not the right kind of influence. we were good at holding power over folks by our will and lobbying power. we'll see how good we are at loving and serving people into the kingdom. good post.
Posted by: joe troyer | May 21, 2009 at 12:58 PM
"we'll see how good we are at loving and serving people into the kingdom. good post."
Buff words
Posted by: Shame and Dishonour | May 21, 2009 at 01:18 PM
I have just finished reading a book,Christianity In Crisis 21st Century. What a sad commentary.
Posted by: Garry Sahl | May 21, 2009 at 02:47 PM
Mark's suggestion is just a theory without any tangible reference. It assumes what it hopes to prove by starting with the idea that those who are changing their identity from Christian to non-Christian were not Christians to begin with. While this may be true, it might just as likely be true that people who met Mark's definition of having a personal transformation and regularly reading the Bible later on decided to renounce their faith. The poll apparently did not ask why people changed their profession.
Or, if it indicates a trend not of personal changes but of mortality and birthrate (older Christians dying and the new generation not professing as much) then this seems more due to a hindered witness among the church than cultural climate change.
Or, if you are Calvinist, then perhaps you would appeal to the mystery of omniscience regarding who is elect ANYWAY, so the polls would reveal no meaningful information.
Whatever way, the poll does not seem to support or undermine Mark's suggestion. It remains just as likely a cause as the obvious alternative, namely that Christians are changing their minds. Since for many Christians this is either an undesired or impossible occurrence, Mark's theory is a reasonable potential explanation. I think other polling could be done to assess the reasons for this change.
Posted by: Sage S | May 21, 2009 at 10:20 PM