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A Catalyst for Change: A Case Study & Reflection on Culture Shift in American Evangelicalism

A Catalyst for Change: A Case Study & Reflection on Culture Shift in American Evangelicalism. By Daniel Davis. A Nationwide Poll* Revealed:. In 1999, 65% of Americans believed that religion was losing its influence in public life …

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A Catalyst for Change: A Case Study & Reflection on Culture Shift in American Evangelicalism

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  1. A Catalyst for Change: A Case Study & Reflection on Culture Shift in American Evangelicalism By Daniel Davis

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

  5. 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Flory & Don Miller, USC “Rationalistic apologetics are largely irrelevant to [GenX] religious commitments, having been replaced by an experience-based epistemology.”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)

  6. 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)

  7. Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer* Style Structure Focus Diversity Authority *Post-Boomer Column Adapted from Flory & Miller (2000)

  8. Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer Style

  9. Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer Structure Assortive Networks Disassortive Networks

  10. Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer Focus

  11. Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer Diversity Gene Robinson

  12. Pre-Boomer Boomer Post-Boomer Authority

  13. Summarizing Themes The shifts can be linked to broader nationwide generational religious shifts. Mainline churches hit plateau after 1950; multiple studies show that Evangelicalism hit plateau after 1990. If new startup movements will have staying power is yet to be seen. They are organizationally more fragile. Mainline denominations may have an opportunity to reclaim some ‘religious market-share’ in the next couple decades if their crisis induces a deep enough sense of urgency for change.

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