The Empty Church: Does Organized Religion Matter Anymore

by Thomas C. Reeves

From Simon & Schuster, The Empty Church is Thomas C. Reeves' exploration of the suicide of liberal Christianity in which he "provides mountains of details to demonstrate that they [mainline Protestant churches] are dying" ( Kirkus Review ).

In The Empty Church Thomas C. Reeves examines the current state of American Protestantism and argues that the churches have been co-opted by liberal secular forces.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, American, Nonfiction, History, Religion

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

A specialist in late 19th and 20th century American history, Thomas C. Reeves received his B.A. at Pacific Lutheran University, his M.A. at the University of Washington, and his Ph.D. in history at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1966. After four years at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, he went on to become a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside, where he taught until his retirement in 2001.

Reviews

[Brian Griffith · Rating 1 out of 5]

An argument from the 1990s that the survival of Christian churches depended on clinging to doctrinal and moral traditionalism. For a few decades it seemed that Reeves was right. Then rising numbers of Catholic and mainstream Protestant leaders started returning to a different set of traditions, based on compassion and concern for justice.

[David Blankenship · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot to commend in this book that is now a quarter-century old. Its main thesis is that 'mainline' churches have lost their way because of the abandoning of orthodox Christian doctrine, which in turn has led to the dismissal of traditional moral behavior. By laying out a mass of both statistics and anecdotes, there's little to argue about with his overall point.

There are two main problems with this book, however. The first is that many of his illustrations are so quick and unrooted from their context as to make one suspicious. For instance, at the beginning of chapter 4 he speaks about the church's approval (both liberal and conservative) of America's entry into WWI as a proof of their stability and influence, a. without ever asking whether or not this approval was morally right from an orthodox Christian perspective and b. by ignoring the fact that many, if not most, Christians did not support such a war, at least initially. Knowing something about this part of history and seeing how casually the author tossed out this example (wrongly) in support of his thesis makes me suspicious of the many other examples he gives.

Secondly, there is a major problem with the author's assumption that the continued growth of more 'conservative' churches give evidence to their correctness. This, however, is debatable. Many more conservative churches may have been orthodox (and thus 'correct') in their doctrinal fidelity, but their actions have betrayed their faith just as badly as the wrong beliefs of liberals betrayed their faith. Could it be that many conservative churches grew not because of proper orthodox belief, but because those churches supported immoral actions such as racism, militarism, and a devotion to economic prosperity above all else? By not only being a prophetic witness to America's faults but even blessing them as the American way of life, many churches have lost their way and in fact betrayed their faith. Considering that 'evangelical' and conservative Christianity has in the years since the publication of this book moved in a wholly unChristian direction (capped off by its almost unanimous support of Trumpism), one wonders whether the problem with conservatism is even more dangerous than that of liberalism. Indeed, many today who are outside of Christianity equate it fully with GOP politics more so than Christian faith, and so want nothing to do with the core belief system that the author is so bold to save. Orthodox American Christianity is in great danger today, but not so much because of liberalism. The danger often comes from the people who claim to believe in it the most.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does organized religion matter any more? A study on the decline of mainstream Protestant churches with their left wing, moral relativism problems--very interesting.

[forky wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book; it was a great meditation on modern Theology and the movements that have informed modern Christianity. Great suggested readings throughout the book!

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I hate to do so, I have to agree with many of the reviewers who commented on the writing style of this book. It is less a thoughtful analysis and more of a collection of footnotes joined together with comments. I do not dispute the author's premise as to why liberal Protestantism is dying. I just wish he wrote a better book.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reeves has some good points, but unfortunately the writing in this book is not very good. I skimmed and rushed through, hoping it would get better, but it remained tedious and rant-ish.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liberal denominations have lost the message and bowed to culture. ELCA, some Presbyterians