Restless Gods: The Renaissance of Religion in Canada

by Reginald W. Bibby

Restless Gods reveals the surprising news about religion and spirituality in Secularization is a myth € There are signs of new life in the Churches € Spirituality and a sense of "something else" are everywhere € Growing numbers of teenagers are interested in religion € What people say they want from the churches € Groups that will survive and thrive - and are about to be born € Convergence prospects for restless people and restless churches. Restless Gods will explode Canadians' misconceptions and myths about religion, spirituality, and themselves.

Genres: Sociology

286 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anyone interested in the study of religion in Canada is required to consult Reginald W. Bibby, doyen of the sociology of religion (and specifically Christianity) in Canada and recently retired from the University of Lethbridge. Over the decades he has produced a string of informative studies of Canadians' attitude towards religion and its place in the world. These are informative studies but they can age quickly. 'Restless Gods: The Renaissance of Religion in Canada' was released in the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001; twenty years later, the religious and cultural landscape in the West has dramatically changed with the COVID pandemic, rise of Big Tech, populist upsurge, and decline in religious adherence, among many other factors (even his most recent survey book from 2017, 'Resilient Gods: Being Pro-Religious, Low Religious, or No Religious in Canada,' may be slightly outdated). Bibby, a United Church minister, tends to write from a pragmatic perspective, with less concern for orthodoxy and strong focus on how religion and churches can acquire and retain members. There are still insights to gain from this book (for human nature has some eternal longings) but in 2022 there are probably better sociological studies to read.