The Quiet Hand of God
Chapter One
A Puzzle
The Question of Religious Vitality
At a Presbyterian church in southern California, a shadow falls across the
pastor's face as he reflects on his denomination. "Our worship styles are
archaic and our belief systems are inflexible," he laments. "We are
pushing people away." Down the street, a Methodist minister shares this
concern. "People are spiritual but not necessarily religious. We've become
such an institution that we forget about nurturing the spirit." In
Illinois a Catholic sister worries that "the churches do not offer the
deep nourishment people need; they're too superficial." Church members in
New Jersey, New Mexico, and Ohio voice similar concerns about their
denominations' ability to remain vital. "In the 1950s and '60s it was just
accepted that you went to church," explains one. "But that no longer is
the case."
By all accounts, American religion should have suffered a serious decline
during the last third of the twentieth century. Alternatives to organized
religion-from cults and encounter groups to therapies and advice
columnists-flourished. More p ... read full excerpt from The Quiet Hand of God: Faith-Based Activism and the Public Role of Mainline Protestantism ebook
