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A Catalyst for Change: A Case Study & Reflection on Culture Shift in American Evangelicalism. By Dan Davis.
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A Catalyst for Change: A Case Study & Reflection on Culture Shift in American Evangelicalism By Dan Davis
The ‘Emerging Church Movement’ is largely a post-modern & post-boomer-generation Evangelical reform movement, reacting against 80’s & 90’s over-identification with Right Wing political agendas. It will either: 1. If rejected: Aid the erosion of Evangelical numbers and influence. 2. If embraced: Alter Evangelical political alliances.
A Nationwide Poll* Revealed: • In 1999,65%of Americans believed that religion was losing its influence in public life… • At the same time, a nearly equal amount, 62% claimed that the influence of religion was increasing in their personal lives. *Roof, Wade Clark. 1999. Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press.
And the Survey Says: • GSS: In 1985,4.6%of U.S. Christians claimed no official denominational affiliation. In 2004, this had arisen to 18.5%. • A Barna Poll (2009) found that between 4% to 33%of the U.S. population will say they have attended a house church in the last 30 days depending on how the question is worded.
Nationwide: • Gallup, 1964: “Have you undergone a religious experience of some variety?” • 20% Yes • GSS, 2004: “Do you feel God’s presence on a daily basis?” • 60% Yes • Baylor, 2008: “I felt called by God to do something.” • 44% Yes • “I heard the voice of God speaking to me.” • 20% Yes
Richard Flory & Don Miller, USC “Rationalistic apologetics are largely irrelevant to [GenX] religious commitments, having been replaced by an experience-based epistemology.” From: GenX Religion (2000)
Richard Flory & Don Miller, USC The Key Findings, Shifts in Five Areas: • Church Service Style • Organizational Structure • Locus of Ministry Emphasis • Issues of Diversity • Primary Source of Authority From: GenX Religion (2000)
Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer* Style Structure Focus Diversity Authority *Post-Boomer Column Adapted from Flory & Miller (2000)
Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer Structure Assortive Networks Disassortive Networks
Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer Diversity Gene Robinson
Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer Authority
Summarizing Themes Future of Evangelicalism? • As it recedes in religious market-share… • As it decouples from Right Wing political alliances… Future of the Emerging Church? The shifts can be linked to broader nationwide generational shifts. See Putnam’s American Grace (2010).