The Future of Mainline Protestantism in America (The Future of Religion in America)

As recently as the 1960s, more than half of all American adults belonged to just a handful of mainline Protestant denominations―Presbyterian, UCC, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and American Baptist. Presidents, congressmen, judges, business leaders, and other members of the elite overwhelmingly came from such backgrounds. But by 2010, fewer than 13 percent of adults belonged to a mainline Protestant church. What does the twenty-first century hold for this once-hegemonic religious group? In this volume, experts in American religious history and the sociology of religion examine the extraordinary decline of mainline Protestantism over the past half century and assess its future. Contributors discuss the demographics of mainline Protestants; their beliefs, practices, and modes of worship; their political views and partisan affiliations; and the social and moral questions that unite and divide Protestant communities. Other chapters examine Protestant institutions, including providers of health care and education; analyze churches’ public voice; and probe what will come from a diminished role relative to other groups in society, especially the ascendant evangelicals. Far from going extinct, the book argues, the mainline Protestant movement will continue to be a vital remnant in an American religious culture torn between the contending forces of secularism and evangelicalism. As recently as the 1960s, more than half of all American adults belonged to just a handful of mainline Protestant denominations—Presbyterian, UCC, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and American Baptist. Presidents, congressmen, judges, business leaders, and other members of the elite overwhelmingly came from such backgrounds. But by 2010, fewer than 13 percent of adults belonged to a mainline Protestant church. What does the twenty-first century hold for this once-hegemonic religious group?

In this volume, experts in American religious history and the sociology of religion examine the extraordinary decline of mainline Protestantism over the past half century and assess its future. Contributors discuss the demographics of mainline Protestants; their beliefs, practices, and modes of worship; their political views and partisan affiliations; and the social and moral questions that unite and divide Protestant communities. Other chapters examine Protestant institutions, including providers of health care and education; analyze churches’ public voice; and probe what will come from a diminished role relative to other groups in society, especially the ascendant evangelicals. Far from going extinct, the book argues, the mainline Protestant movement will continue to be a vital remnant in an American religious culture torn between the contending forces of secularism and evangelicalism. Table of Contents Series Editors’ Introduction: The Future of Religion in America, by Mark Silk and Andrew H. Walsh Introduction, by James Hudnut-Beumler 1. The State of Contemporary Mainline Protestantism, by Graham Reside 2. The Beliefs and Practices of Mainline Protestants, by David Bains 3. Futures for Mainline Protestant Institutions, by Maria Erling 4. A Divided House, by Daniel Sack 5. The Mainline and the Soul of International Relations, by Andrew H. Walsh Conclusion: The Quakerization of Mainline Protestantism, by James Hudnut-Beumler Appendix A: American Religious Identification Survey: Research Design Appendix B: American Religious Identification Survey: Future of Religion in America Survey Appendix C: American Religious Identification Survey: Typology of Religious Groups List of Contributors Index Experts in American religious history and the sociology of religion examine the decline of mainline Protestantism over the past half century and assess its future. The book argues that the mainline Protestant movement will continue to be a vital remnant in a culture torn between the contending forces of secularism and evangelicalism.