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

Home
Evangelical
Living Out of Control: After Christendom or…?

Living Out of Control: After Christendom or…?

Last updated on: May 18, 2025 at 5:02 pm by Roger E. Olson

0 Comments

Living Out of Control: After Christendom or…? 2025-05-18T17:02:36-05:00 Roger E. Olson

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.

Here I begin discussion of a new book: Living Out of Control: Political and Personal Faith in Waning Christendom by Rodney Clapp (Fortress Press, 2025). I introduced the book here a little over a week ago (May, 2025). Rodney is a good friend and a gentleman, a Christian, and a scholar. Here I will describe Chapter One: After Christendom or Waning Christendom? And I invite those who have read it to comment. Others may ask questions.

According to Clapp (from here on I will call him Rodney), “Christendom” is a “time and place in which Christianity prevails.” (1) To pin it down even more, “It is a time and place in which everyone is assumed to be a Christian unless demonstrated otherwise. It is a time and place where government and culture are guided and suffused, at least nominally, by Christian faith.”

Rodney believes Christendom in America is waning as opposed to dead and gone. There are still vestiges of it alive if not well in America. His concern in the book is to guide American Christians into being good Christians (Christians in the right way) in this transitional stage in which Christians are no longer in control of culture. (I assume this condition is not unique to America, so others can join in the discussion insofar as they can identify.)

Rodney concedes that there are powerful people in America who want American once again to be “declared and reembodied as a Christian nation.” (3) One could debate whether it ever really was such (Greg Boyd, for example). However, Rodney believes the high point of Christendom in America was the 1950s and ever since Christendom has been waning in America.

Rodney discusses “three inherent tensions within American Christendom” (6-9). The first one is individualism growing out of revivalism. The second one is the “quasi-libertarianism” inherent in American Christendom. The tension there is a combination of a libertarian ethos with “restrictive public moralism.” The third tension is the “confusion of the church and its mission with American nationalism.” (8)

Rodney clearly does not think American Christian nationalism is a good thing. For him, both the Bible and American tradition view the church, not the nation, as the “city on a hill.” That image and concept was made the nation by Ronald Reagan in 1974. (Rodney provides the specific quotation.)

Rodney ends the chapter by telling what the book is about: “Here, I will try to capture the imagination, to present a different and better story than, say, Christian nationalists, about the possibilities of living out of control. We will reconsider responsibility as a response-ability, introduce prefigurative politics, cheer on a kind of Christian anarchism, remind ourselves of resonance with others and with the world that can only be realized by accepting that we are not in control, hold up a massive potential of friendship in a lonely and desperate society, and lift up again the ongoing riches of celebrating the Eucharist and proclaiming the gospel.” (9)

One question I have, that I hope Rodney will answer, is whether it might be possible for America, or any country, to be suffused with Christian values without Christians being in control. Or at least be theistic in a kind of generic way, but rooted in the Bible, without theocracy. Paul Tillich talked about “theonomous culture” by which he did not mean theocratic culture. He meant a culture that is neither heteronomous (e.g., theocratic) or autonomous (radically pluralistic).

We may find out what Rodney’s answer would be as we continue the book. The first chapter was quite brief. Other chapters are longer. I look forward to reading and commenting on Chapter Two “Responsibility as Response-ability.”

*Note: Comment only if you have read the chapter. Otherwise, you may ask a question. In any case, keep it relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 16, 2025

What Do We Really Know? Rethinking Knowledge and Belief

Next Post

May 21, 2025 Is Christendom Necessarily Always Bad?

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"No doubt Lewis was inspired by earlier thinkers. Ironically (or perhaps serendipitously) I am now ..."

Roger Olson

The Abolition of Man: Chapter 3: ..."

"I am sure Lewis would agree. After all, as a Christian he believed in original ..."

Roger Olson

The Abolition of Man: Chapter 3: ..."

"If I’m not mistaken, the quote from Lewis is his interpretation of the “Conditioners’” own ..."

Roger Olson

The Abolition of Man: Chapter 3: ..."

"Thank you! It's been a great re-read of a thought provoking, but somewhat dense, little ..."

Øyvind J. Karstad

The Abolition of Man: Chapter 3: ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I wanted a vineyard so badly that my wife arranged the owner's death through false witnesses. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

David Ahab Jezebel Naboth