The Churching of America, 1776-2005: Winners and Losers in Our Religious Economy

by Roger Finke, Rodney Stark

In this provocative book, Roger Finke and Rodney Stark challenge popular perceptions about American religion. They view the religious environment as a free market economy, where churches compete for souls. The story they tell is one of gains for upstart sects and losses for mainline denominations. Although many Americans assume that religious participation has declined in America, Finke and Stark present a different picture. In 1776, fewer than 1 in 5 Americans were active in church affairs. Today, church membership includes about 6 out of 10 people. But, as Finke and Stark show, not all denominations benefited. They explain how and why the early nineteenth-century churches began their descent, while two newcomer sects, the Baptists and the Methodists, gained ground. They also analyze why the Methodists then began a long, downward slide, why the Baptists continued to succeed, how the Catholic Church met the competition of ardent Protestant missionaries, and why the Catholic commitment has declined since Vatican II. The authors also explain why ecumenical movements always fail. In short, Americans are not abandoning religion; they have been moving away from established denominations. A "church-sect process" is always under way, Finke and Stark argue, as successful churches lose their organizational vigor and are replaced by less worldly groups. Some observers assert that the rise in churching rates indicates increased participation, not increased belief. Finke and Stark challenge this as well. They find that those groups that have gained the greatest numbers have demanded that their followers accept traditional doctrines and otherworldliness. They argue that religious organizations can thrive only when they comfort souls and demand sacrifice. When theology becomes too logical, or too secular, it loses people.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, American History, Christian, American, Faith

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2005

Reviews

[Rose]

Good. I think some of the conclusions are a bit of a stretch at times. But the data of who attended church, when, and where is helpful in understanding America’s “Christian” past (spoiler the us is not nearly as churchy historically as we think). Also some of the ideas of what causes church growth and decline is helpful.

[Fr. Thomas Reeves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good historical data especially regarding colonial church attendance, the rise of sectarian revivalism, and the sedentary reality of the Protestant Mainline churches in America in the 19th and 20th century once modernity became entrenched in the American Universities and Seminaries and much of the clergy they were producing (chapters 6 and 7 respectively).

The book also does a good job of revealing the human penchant of any organized group (here, being mainline churches in the United States) to find the results they have already decided on (especially related to the promise of the ecumenical movement and the expected vitality that ended with exactly the opposite result – ch. 6.) The book also reveals some characteristic influences which contribute to the emotional and anti-intellectual rise, and the reactive elitist malaise and decline as the Protestant religious institutions stagnated.

That said, the book tends to be reductionistic and pragmatic. The general thesis seems to be that the "wilderness times" of the sects in their continual splintering, initial energy (coupled with a large dose of anti-intellectualism) is what gives growing churches their vitality. While it is also true that these churches valued the super-natural, spiritual commitment, and some of the core doctrines of Christianity, the instability and immaturity, lack of accountability and spiritual harm that these sects/cults promoted goes unnoticed and almost praised as a model. The cult like power and influence of many leaders (including Whitfield), the power games, relational chaos, and doctrinal confusion that often accompanied these sectarian cultures seem unknown to the authors. One also wonders at times when the authors speak of the renewal of Protestantism or Roman Catholicism, if the Holy Spirit, institutional stability, and spiritual maturity need ever to be present amongst healthy, maturing, and lasting church bodies.

I am always reminded regarding the church where the Azuza Street Revival started, was only in existence for thirty years due to infighting and an eventual split. An ecclesiological theology dependent on constant, emotional, and miraculously impressive “movements” rarely develop a Christianity that allows for forgiveness of one-another, shared-life/accountability, and any sense of long-term harmony. Whatever the weakness of the Mainline Protestant Churches (And there are many, with most of our denominational Leadership thinking they are smarter and wiser in their post-modernism than Jesus the Messiah or our Holy Scriptures), my Episcopal Church Parish is celebrating its 171st year in existence here in Bloomington, IL (and in our Diocese, there are many of our small churches that can make a similar statement).

It seems the norm desired by the authors is that the populist church (in any time-period) that is growing, is desired. But many of these sectarian groups (including Baptist and Methodist) where also embracing a kind of democratic style of church that would better resonate to frontier and colonial Americans. How much of this was Christianity, and how much of this was "a kind of conservative cultural religion” to the liking of their constituency (keep it simple, stupid!) while denying the power thereof". Growth and capital majority rarely equals faithfulness to the Triune God in Holy Scripture.

That said, there are some real gems in this book. One of them says this, and sums up this books strength for me:

“In recent work, we have found that to the extent that people seek religion - and not all do - the demand is the highest for religions that offer close relations with the supernatural and distinctive demands for membership, without isolating individuals from the culture around them. Few want a religion that forces complete submission requiring a life of isolation from secular society. Likewise, few want a religion whose God is so distant and powerless as to offer little assistance in daily living and few promises for the life hereafter”.

It seems to me that this observation from sociological research bodes well on the fruits which come from a faithful, historic, gracious, and orthodox Christianity empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament.

[Kurtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting economic/sociologic theory for why some religions succeed and others fail, with plenty of supporting evidence.

"Humans want their religion to be sufficiently potent, vivid, and compelling so that it can offer them rewards of great magnitude. People seek a religion that is capable of miracles and that imparts order and sanity to the human condition. The religious organizations that maximize these aspects of religion, however, also demand the highest price in terms of what the individual must do to qualify for these rewards. Moreover, because of the long-term exchange relations that religious organizations require, people are forever paying the costs in the here and now while most of the rewards are to be realized elsewhere and later. As a result, humans are prone to backslide, to get behind on their payments...Thus, other things being equal, people will always be in favor of a modest reduction in their costs. In this fashion, humans begin to bargain with their churches for lower tension and fewer sacrifices...There comes a point, however, when a religious body has become so worldly that its rewards are few and lacking in plausibility." (pages 282-283)

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this to get a very different perspective of American religious history. Finke and Stark argue that American has steadily grown more religious over time, starting from a very low point of religious participation before 1800. That is the opposite perspective than what I had always heard and understood.
Their basic point is that to thrive, a religious movement has to make demands on their followers and separate themselves from the world around them. Once they lower the bar and reduce the demands and expectations of their followers, they lose influence, money and members. They demonstrate this with numerous examples and historical data. This was a very illuminating look at Baptist history, and they contrast the Baptist and early Methodists with the other mainline denominations to illustrate their points about how to maintain a thriving church movement.

[Rory Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must-read for seminarians, in my opinion. It exposes readers to rational choice theory as it relates to church attendance and growth through the last two and a half centuries of the church in the United States.

Where it falters is in explaining modern evangelicalism (but that trend can be analyzed with RCT) and integrating the Catholic story more neatly within the rest of the narrative.

Because this is a "theory" book, it also doesn't give anything to "prove" this is and will always be the case. Will future generations of mainline Protestants keep those churches alive? RCT would suggest no, but perhaps they can develop new ways of being in the world that infuse new life.

A really interesting read!

[Tova Granlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most remarkable trait with this book was its parable between economics and theology. The authors apply a economical perspective on the Christianity in the US, and it’s inflation and deflation. Why do certain churches grow and why do some lose their power over time? That is the question getting answered here! I absolutely enjoyed reading this book as a whole, although there were parts where it became kinda tedious.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a reasonably good read and, in parts, riveting. The trend of sect-church seems to be a very "human thing" and not just an "American church thing." The authors cast these historical movements in general economic terms, which is interesting, and I really hope they use more of that in this writing.

Generally, I agree with their assertions and assessments. But I wish they would offer more than a few pages on possible solutions to the general trend toward secularization and decline.

[Dean Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, and its description of the entrepreneurial nature of American church planting, was a factor in the plan of my wife and I to visit a church in every state. The plan changed to a church and a bar in every state, and it became this book: https://www.amazon.com/Cheers-Amen-ye...

[Tyler McGruder · Rating 3 out of 5]

A deep well of stats and sociological research that can help American church leaders grasp a positive vision for the church in America. The findings of this research should not be taken as 100% accurate but can help us to understand why churches succeed and decline and may challenge some of our common narratives about church health.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much-needed quantitative study of American denominational statistics. The authors' interpretation of the data is controversial, as is their rational-choice method.