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, Church, Church History, American History, Sociology

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1992

Reviews

[Susie Meister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This game-changing book sought to reconstruct what the authors see as glaring systematic biases in the field of general American religious history. They argue repeatedly that religious organizations can thrive only to the extent that they have a theology that can comfort souls and motivate sacrifice. Between the Revolution and the Civil War the churched rose from 17% to 37% and by 1906 it was over 50%. Their argument is based upon the idea of religious economies and that the primary market weakness that has caused the failure of many denominations is a matter of doctrinal content (or lack of it). In an unregulated economy, they argue, pluralism will thrive (monopoloies are lazy). On the American frontier, religion floundered because: transcience, disorder, too many men, too many scoundrels, and too few clergy. In 1776, the Congregationalists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians were dominant by 1850, it was the Methodists and Baptists (and Catholics). Methodists and Baptists were democratic and could better respond to the market. F&S subscribe to theories of urbanization. Over time "respectable" denominations were losing members to emotional sects. The authors believe when a religious body becomes too worldy, the rewards are few.

[Greg Coates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a text guaranteed to offend the refined sensibilities of academic elites, which is precisely why I so enjoyed reading it. Bold, assertive, and hard-hitting in its claims, Finke and Stark demolish popular ways of telling the story of American religious history. Read why mainline churches are headed for the sidelines, why during Vatican II the Catholic Church shot itself in the foot, why conservative sects in tension with the culture grow, and why a professionalized, seminary-educated clergy is sure to kill your denomination. While I certainly disagree with plenty, I must admit I admire the authors for trampling on the sacred cows of the intelligentsia -- and using hard statistics to do so. Unfortunately, they do not pause to question their own pragmatism and utilitarian ethics, but here is a fun ride through American church history nonetheless.

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE book to read about how churches work, why people join churches, and why different denominations rise and fall.

Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, Evangelicals - the big groups all show up. The central thesis regards sect vs church - that religious movements naturally begin as high sacrifice high reward sects with distinct practices and then soften to become generalized mainstream churches. As they do this they lose their fervor and attractive power, while new sects emerge to fill the gap. The authors use reasonable and well-researched statistics to evaluate the rise and fall of denominations and to explain WHY certain groups were successful at different times. The authors explore message, clergy, distinctive practices, organization strategies, marketing, and how all of these changed over time.

Here are a few passages that resonated with me.


“It may be that secularization ensues whenever religion is placed in a formal academic setting, for scholars seem unable to resist clearing up all logical ambiguities. Rather than celebrate mysteries, religious scholars often seek to create a belief system that is internally consistent. Finding that things do not fit exactly, they begin to prune and revise and redefine. Whether or not this corrosive effect if scholarship on religion is inevitable . . .” (p. 45)

"Perhaps the contrast btwn faith and theology best conveys the vivid differences btwn called and educated clergy. Does the religious method address matters of faith that are directly relevant to the experience and concerns of the laity, or is it a discourse on abstruse theological matters? Put another way, is it a message of conversion or a message of erudition?" (p. 83 - 84).

"We agree that rigorous scholarship is required of those who would be scholars. We do not agree that standards appropriate for evaluating secular academic institutions are necessarily appropriate for judging institutions organized around a confession of faith . . . Who says that the only proper mission of seminaries is to function as research centers? Is it wrong for seminaries to regard it as their entire mission to help young clergy learn how to spread and sustain the faith?" (p. 185).

“When quantitative claims are involved, the opinions of people who fail to count shouldn’t count” (p. 242).

Not only is this great for American religion, but this book can be generalized to almost ANY religious studies due to the applicability of the central thesis. I highly recommend.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting social study about the explosion of different religions in America and the pull of fundementalism. The authors posit that the unique circumstances of America, with no state sponsored religion, provided an atmosphere where charismatic, pentecostal and fundamentalist religions thrived in freemarket economy of religion. Using an impressive amount of charts and data, they show how the old main line religions (lutheran, congregational and angelican) had trouble competing with newer religions such as Baptists and Methodists. Faced with choices, people chose more rigid, energetic religions that require more from them, but give more back. Using the Methodists as a prime example, they show how it started as a backwoods religion, garnering new adherents via traveling tent show revivals where 20,000 souls might be saved over the course of a week. Preachers were itenerant and honed their preaching skills with a new audience each week. Members attended weekly prayer groups and most permanent ministers were lay ministers. Their numbers exploded from the 1820s to the 1860s. But as the religion grew older and the congregations more wealthy, they began building grander buildings, requiring ministers trained at seminaries and dispensed with many of the practices that had swelled their numbers. Their share of the population began to drop precipitiously as more charismatic religions starting competing in the freemarket economy of religion.

[Stephen Cranney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stark and Finke overturn so much conventional wisdom in this book it's hard to know where to start. Suffice it to say, required reading for anybody with an interest in religious history in the US or just religion in general. I myself wasn't too interested in general US religious history (being something of a navel gazer, I was primarily interested in Mormon history specifically), but this book shows that "there's nothing new under the sun," and that all religions deal with many of the same issues.

[Gina Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Denominations are stronger when there is a certain amount of sacrifice involved and less worldliness. Local control of the church vs hierarchy also helps maintain decreased secularism. Once the denomination becomes more secular, the commitment and membership declines.The Churching of America reminds me of points made in Eric Hoffer's True Believer, but with a lot of research and citations. I would like to see more information on the Lutheran Churches and of the LDS.

[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.

[Kirsten Schlewitz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gotta love it when a book quotes a Confederate general for no reason whatsoever. Outdated -- says 1990 but the stats go to 1980 -- and sends a poor theological message. Seminaries have to stop assigning this.

[Jim Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of American Christianity. Main idea was all denominations start high commitment and highly different from culture but gradually assimilate.

[Ann Hunhoff · Rating 1 out of 5]

An interesting comparison of denominational trends in America to a free-market economy with some interesting correlations - HOWEVER, this book leaves theology unexamined and is therefore extremely problematic in posing success as church membership rather than a deepening love for God and neighbor (which, of course, is not as simple to quantify). Allow me to ramble.

While I can certainly rationalize the high-risk-high-reward model attributing success to stricter or more conservative traditions, I still find myself troubled by how and why these “emotional” denominations experience growth/stability while mainline denominations continue to decline. The “cost of belonging,” described by Finke & Stark, must be high (though not exceedingly high as to lure people in only to drive them out the back door) to produce a greater reward – both obligating and incentivizing participation. Does this make logical sense? Sure. If you have to invest a lot in something, you’re much less likely to hold it loosely. Yet, to me, this doesn’t negate the fact that high costs in exchange for high rewards easily and readily result in manipulation. High risk begins to flirt with high control. I spent limited time involved in a conservative, nondenominational group/church in my undergrad years, and what I walked away with was a lot of blame for my suffering, shame for my circumstances, and discouragement of my gifts. I acknowledge this is just one experience, but it was also considered a fairly typical conservative church. These kinds of churches rely on elevating emotions (particularly fear, anxiety, guilt, and sadness) to drive you into their approach to following Christ. They ask for a high investment – exclusive adherence to their tenets, obligation of time and money, and rejection of the world. (And let’s not get romantic about rejecting the world. This tends to adversely affect - read: harm and kill - queer and trans people, and frankly, in our current climate, anyone who MAGA decides to frame as an enemy to American well-being. Otherworldliness is an entirely separate thing from rejection of the world.) I think we should hold skepticism toward the morality of a high-risk-high-reward approach to religiosity, even if it reflects “success” (when success is defined as church membership as it is throughout this book).

One might argue that the Gospel, to participate in the life of Christ, is a high cost, but I must implore us to consider what the cost is according to Jesus. What I see in scripture are costs like a detachment from wealth, of denying my selfish ambitions, of rejecting legalism for its own sake. To me, a most grievous sin of American Christianity is its emphasis on individual salvation. If my main purpose for religious participation is to ensure my “ticket” to heaven and not to participate in the realization of the kin-dom of God for all people, I don’t want it. And, again, I say this not to negate Arminianism and the concept of choice/free-will, but to condemn how we have twisted or ignored that God so loved THE WORLD and that Jesus’ sacrifice is for ALL PEOPLE. A “free market,” frankly capitalist, understanding of American Christianity may be apt to describe the observed trends, but lest we forget, capitalism is not ultimately to the benefit of most people; it highly benefits the owners of capital who know how to work and manipulate the system.

So you can definitely call me one of those progressive, out-of-touch seminarians who want a living wage in exchange for my ministry, but I stand by the belief that “thriving in the religious marketplace” is not inherently equivalent to teaching and living out the inclusive love of Jesus Christ.

[Gregory Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this study of religious ebbs and flows in the history of America to the present, the authors challenge many of the conventional historical assessments of religion in America. While I remain uneasy and perhaps not totally convinced about some of their analysis and interpretation of the stuff of American religious history, I commend the book for anyone interested in American religious history. Truthfully, this should mean just about everyone in America, for our religious history has played and continues to play a powerful role in American political, social, and personal life. I think it’s not really possible to understand our history and our contemporary socio-political situation without a good understanding of the role of religion in our American context. The analysis and interpretation presented by the authors should be read, pondered, and absorbed, even if it makes us uncomfortable in some respects.

[Jonathan Drnjevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear articulation of the religious history and sociology in America.

[Matt Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a dry read, but the content is great.

[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.

[Daniel Silliman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grand theory of religious history, issued with more than a little bit of hubris, this is a book you have to wrestle with, if you're studying 20th c. American religion. My sense is that the theory is wrong. That it's wrong, however, is less interesting and less important than the conversation about how.

For me, I think one problem is the narrowness of the question the book is asking. The grand theory works, when it works and to the extent it works, when focused very specifically on an exact formulation of a question.

Another serious issue is they can't explain some of the things they think they should be able to explain (like why some upstart sects DON'T win in our religious economy). The theory stops working so smoothly if you push a little ...

[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.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

READ MAY 2010

Well written depiction of religion in the nineteenth and twentieth century using the Methodist, Catholic, and Baptist as a case study to show the sect-church theory. Best quote, "religious economies...depend upon their polity, their clergy, their religious doctrines, and their evangelization techniques" (p. 17).

[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.

[Jorden · Rating 4 out of 5]

What part did religion play in the founding of our nation? This book is an in-depth look to the nation's religious history.

A very interesting read: the cycle and nature of religion from an economic perspective.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting history of Christianity in America. I don't know that it's something you'd just casually pick up, though.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at how the main religions in the US have grown, declined, and changed over the past 230+ years and the causes for those successes or failures.

[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.

[Denny Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the religious history of the US. Excellent writers and fun to read, really.