The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us

by Ryan P. Burge

Genres: Politics, Christian, Nonfiction, Cultural, Religion, Theology, Sociology

232 pages, Hardcover

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful and well researched book from a political scientist or sociologist standpoint. Although Ryan Burge is a pastor, there isn't as much of a pastoral tone. There are lots and lots of data points, telling the reader the difference in how many people surveyed respond to data points such as "are you religious" "how often do you attend services" "Do you identify as evangelical" Over time those pages had a tendency to be a bit dry for me, but they are necessary to make the author's points. From a hope perspective, I learned that while church attendance for moderates is rapidly declining, more people have more moderate beliefs than we think. I think the typical reader would be a mainline protestant wondering why their church is losing members. This book will show that it may not be your church or denomination, that the religious right has increased in popularity, that more far left people identify as atheists.

Another point he makes over and over again is that "it wasn't always this way"- that in the 1980's the evangelical church was 50/50 democrat vs republican. That unfortunately churches have become a place that is "far right coded" and the more mainline churches are losing members. Social media highlights mostly fringe beliefs, even though more americans have more moderate views. For example, the southern baptist convention published a stance against IVF, but only 8% of members of the SBC were against IVF.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brazos Press for the ARC. Book to be published January 13, 2026

[Claire Bowers-Dingus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could do half stars! Technically this was a 3.5/5. It was a well-written book; it was just a little boring. Lots of research and stats to wade through. This would be a credible source to cite if you ever write a church history or American religious history book.

I liked the call to moderates to stand up and use their voices for unity; often, we only see the two polarized sides yelling on social media. He gave some difficult abortion stats and approached the issue in a nuanced way. It hurt my heart to know that atheists are more politically active by far than Christians. Overall takeaway: We need to rub shoulders with people who don’t always agree with our views/opinions. And we need to be kind in our discourse and rhetoric to those who don’t share our beliefs. Dehumanizing speech shouldn’t have a place in politics or the church.

[Kelly Brill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan Burge is a political scientist who specializes in the impact of religion on American life. He is also a lifelong Christian who has worked in several churches. The Vanishing Church focuses on how political polarization has transformed American Christianity. Burge writes as both a researcher (who loves graphs and data), a practicing Christian (who deeply believes in the local congregation), and an American who cares about the public good. All three of these passions are revealed in this insightful and thought-provoking book.

He divides the book into three sections: Five Decades of Religious Polarization, Social and Political Polarization, and A Way Forward. His statistics are both illuminating and sobering. His theory is that moderate religion has declined rapidly, as a result of political polarization. Those who identify as Republican, by and large, are attending evangelical churches. Those who identify as Democrat, by and large, are identifying as atheist, agnostic, or "none" (no specific religion). There was a time when Republicans and Democrats worshiped in the same pew, in the same United Methodist Church, for example. That church (and those like them) attracted those across the socioeconomic spectrum, people of different educational backgrounds. The local mainline Protestant church, then, was a place where people practiced listening to one another, learning from each other. People developed empathy; the social fabric was woven together more tightly. Without those churches (and all mainline Protestant denominations are rapidly declining), the polarization just becomes worse.

I learned a lot from this book. I learned that the Roman Catholic Church in America is becoming much more conservative (following its clergy). I learned, surprisingly, that the number of evangelicals is not rising (though their influence is.). I'm also left with many questions. Burge's last section is entitled, "A Way Forward" and he issues a passionate plea for the return of the moderate church, but it is not in the least prescriptive.

I am grateful to have received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.

[Becki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen, if you are in the small subset of people who find this topic fascinating, you are going to be *captivated* by this book! (That's me. I have told multiple people about this book while I've been reading it!) My story is that I grew up in a very evangelical, very conservative home during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Since 2016 I've experienced significant shifts in both my religious beliefs and my politics, and even now, I can not determine which set of beliefs changed first. I only know that I stopped calling myself a Christian when I grew overwhelmed by what felt like the very strong voice of unified Churchianity telling me that I was *not* part of them any longer.

Author and political scientist Ryan P Burge comes loaded with stats and presents the case that over the past 50 years, the American church has gone from being a community of diversity and moderation to being a near monolith, especially politically, but also socio-economically. He heralds the church as the one of the last remaining spaces where diverse populations could influence each other. From "The Vanishing Church", "Standing shoulder to shoulder with a bank president and a factory worker while reciting the Apostles' Creed can do wonders in creating understanding and compassion across the class and political divides facing the United States. However, the American church is continuing to fall far short of that ideal, becoming a haven for those whose lives have stayed on a narrow path. This has led to an increase in misunderstanding, a decline in empathy, and a further fraying in our social fabric."

Burge does a really great job of laying out the situation and the dangers. He is less forthcoming with solutions, which is my only complaint. Still, I'll continue to recommend this book because I think it was really eye-opening and brings specific data points to something that I had been feeling about religion and politics, but couldn't verbalize.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for an ARC of this book. It drops Jan 13, 2026 and should be required reading for those who care about church health and growth.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ryan Burge mentioned that this book was in process in a recent podcast, I kept an eye out for it. I hoped it would provide some answers to questions I had in my own church. The Vanishing Church helps to define a problem that has arisen over the past decades, establishes ways to counter the problem, and provides an understanding for why church doesn't seem like home anymore.

A strength of a church can be its diversity of demographics, race, economics, and politics. A church that eliminates by choice or by inattention the ability for people of differing aspects of life to sit next to each other in the pews (or chairs) sets itself up for being locked in to a particular voice. The locking in might be successful in some aspects -- growing in numbers, growing in budget -- but has the distinct possibility of shredding connection to swaths of people. As churches pursue the purses of microsectors, other people are pushed out of the picture. The growth of religious "Nones" is one result of this trend. The pursuit also drives current attendees away, sometimes to another congregation (better than some options) and sometimes to quitting affiliation altogether.

Burge concludes with several takeaways that can lead to a more diverse congregational life in the church. The concepts he proposes are not necessarily new, but are a necessary reminder about the value of people who differ from ourselves. My fear is that the people who need to hear the message the most are the people who are the least likely to look and listen outside their echo chamber.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I presently serve in a church that may be approaching the same fate Burge describes from his own ministry in Baptist churches. I found it difficult to pay attention at times to the trove of statistical data (overwhelming at times in the audiobook, although narrated well; I also wondered about sample sizes, etc.). But there were several takeaways. Here are a few:

Churches should be places which bring people together across real differences rather than sorting them into camps. People should choose a congregation and stick with it, even when it imperfectly lines up with their views and preferences. The church’s life together matters not just because of faith but for the health of Western democracy. Churches mustn’t let politics turn congregations into tribalistic echo chambers. Simply showing up and participating is valuable in itself. And above all, we must not dehumanize those who think, vote, or believe differently than we do. The future of the church and our ability to live together in community in Christ depends less on 100% agreement and more on committed, empathetic presence with one another.

[Ayekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vanishing Church makes for a compelling yet easily read book, as Ryan peels back the layers from the past, bringing them along into the present. Seeking to understand and explain the state of the moderate church and how we got where we are today. Clearly there is no one explanation and through the use of graphs and charts that tandem the writing we get a much clearer insight and understanding of those who have left, those who have stayed and a look at the demographics of these people, along with the a view of the church collective. It truly is a fascinating study of the church as it stands today and perhaps a hopeful look at a future for the church. This book isn't just for clergy and academics, it can be read by anyone who has questions about the future of their own church.

Highly recommend to all readers

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-researched and heartbreaking. There are lots of stats, percentages, and all of it is followed by reflection. It could be overwhelming and dry for many, but for me, it is very, very sad. Why? Not because the number of people who call themselves religious is declining rapidly, not because our society has literally ditched the church, BUT because we knowingly and willingly are turning away from our roots as a civilization, not just as a population. Our legislation, our lifestyle, our history, our art, and our traditions — all of these are based on Christian values. I think you don’t have to believe to be one. Christianity, for me and for many, means belonging. Belonging to Western civilization. If we turn away from ourselves, we will vanish, just like so many others before us.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book where the subtitile tells readers exactly what this work covers. He shows how the close intermixing of church and politics has been bad for the church, our politics and us. We end up in the curious world where the term evangelical is mostly about political views and little to do with our interactions with the devine.

[Clark Cowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent! I loved it!

[Chris Hilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll get quite a bit of data thrown at you, but this book provides hope that churches can break the chains of political homegeny and be places where differences are welcome.