Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Empty Pew

Home
Progressive Christian
What might it look like to re-imagine faith in a post-Christian society?

What might it look like to re-imagine faith in a post-Christian society?

Last updated on: August 5, 2019 at 2:16 pm by Joshua Lawson

What might it look like to re-imagine faith in a post-Christian society? 2019-08-05T14:16:53-05:00 Joshua Lawson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What place is there for faith in post-Christian America?

Photo Credit: Andrew Stawarz Flickr via Compfight cc

Faith. In a post-Christian society. That’s the topic of the day.

Hello, by the way.

This is my personal introduction post. I’m only gonna do this once, so please listen up.

My name is Josh, and I’m the pastor of a United Church of Christ congregation in southern Ohio. This is strange to me, because I used to be thoroughly convinced that institutional Christianity, including the modern pastoral office, was everything that is wrong with the Church. In some ways, I still kind of am.

Yet here I am, a pastor in southern Ohio. It’s rural down here, too. As Hank Williams, Jr. says, “We say grace, we say amen, and if you ‘aint into that, we don’t give a damn.”

At least that’s the way it’s always been. And still is for the most part. Yet things are changing, too. I like to keep my ear to the ground on cultural shifts, and I can say with confidence that the initial waves of post-Christian America are beginning to hit the shores of Central Appalachia. What started in Europe and then spread to the progressive, urban centers of the West is now making its way through the cornfields and up the hollers of rural America.

People are leaving the churches. In droves. Some of those folks are looking for alternative forms of gathering, but many of them are giving up on faith altogether. The number of “nones” and “dones” is growing every year. “Spiritual, but not religious”–that’s their mantra. Some of them still “love Jesus, but not the church.” However you want to frame it, the cultural landscape is changing.

Evidence of this cultural shift is all around. The church I’m currently serving has reached a point where it’s time to either innovate or go the way of the dinosaurs. Forty years ago they had to bring in extra chairs to accommodate people in a sanctuary that seated 400. Now, we’re holding steady at twenty. Declining membership and finances have forced the church to a point of decision: Either give up and go home, or change. To their credit, they risked bringing me on in the hope of rebuilding. But there are no guarantees.

According to one report, 6,000-10,000 churches are closing their doors each year in America. That’s some serious decline in a country that still largely boasts of its faith as a “Christian nation.” Of course, many folks will argue that being “Christian” has very little to do with attending an institutional church on Sundays, but that is another conversation for another day. For now, it is simply evidence to support my point.

Times are changing in America. The cultural winds have shifted and the ship is beginning to turn.

All this indicates a deeper crisis of faith. In fact, I believe we’re staring down the barrel of the end of an era, and that’s my main point here. Old paradigms are shifting. The ancient stories of faith that form the bedrock of western culture are no longer satisfying a growing number of people. As a result, many folks are now cast adrift in search of a new narrative for their lives. I see this trend among Christians and non-Christians alike.

How do we navigate this moment of change? That’s the question I want to explore here at The Empty Pew. We’re gonna cover all kinds of topics on this blog, but that will be the main theme. I invite you to join me, then, as I re-imagine faith in a post-Christian society.

About Josh Lawson

Josh Lawson is a pastor, writer, and small business owner. He lives in southern Ohio with his wife and kids and their cat Gryffin, which is short for Gryffindor. He loves strong coffee and good books. If you'd like, you can support his work at www.patreon.com/JoshuaLawson. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

June 2, 2020

About that photo op in front of St. John's church

Next Post

July 18, 2019 Jesus saves, but so does Naloxone

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category atheism Church culture war Deconstruction faith Inner Life Introduction Nonviolence Opioid Crisis spiritual care theology therapy Uncategorized war

Select a Month June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In Revelation, what do the souls under the altar cry out for?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Justice and vengeance for their blood Mercy for their persecutors Peace on earth The return of Christ