ABSTRACT

While Church attendance in the West is often cited as being in decline, it is argued that this applies primarily to the older established forms of Christianity. Other expressions of the faith are, in fact, stable or even growing. This volume provides multidisciplinary interpretations of and responses to one of the most complicated and controversial issues regarding the global transformation of Christianity today: the decline of "established Christianity" in the Western world. It also addresses the future of Christianity in the West after the decline.

Drawing upon historical research, sociology, religious studies, philosophy and theology, an international panel of contributors provide new theoretical frameworks for understanding this decline and offer creative suggestions for responding to it. "Established Christianity" is conceptualized as historically, culturally, socially and politically embedded religion (with or without official established status).

This is a dynamic volume that gives fresh perspective on one of the great social changes taking place in the West today. As such, it will be of great interest to scholars of religious sociology, history and anthropology, as well as theologians.

part I|95 pages

Background issues and theoretical approaches

chapter 2|42 pages

Causes of the decline

Historical, empirical and theoretical perspectives

chapter 3|11 pages

Analyzing religious decline

A sociological approach

part II|59 pages

Case studies on specific regions and groups

chapter 6|16 pages

More than just de-Christianization

Christian mission in face of religious indifference in East Germany

chapter 7|11 pages

Towards a faithful Christian community in Canada

A missiological response to religious change

chapter 8|7 pages

American mainline Protestantism

On the history and future of a culture-forming confessional identity

chapter 10|11 pages

Going big

Mega-churches in the midst of declining Christianity in the West

part III|26 pages

Perspectives from world Christianity and African Christianity

chapter 11|13 pages

An opportunity to foster inter-Christian reciprocity

The view from “World Christianity” and “the Next Christendom”

chapter 12|10 pages

Reframing our experiences in the light of the cross

How African Christianity sees the decline

part IV|24 pages

Contributions from public theology and the philosophy of religion

chapter 13|12 pages

Taking sin seriously again

A perspective from theology and public life

chapter 14|10 pages

The religion of decline

A perspective from the philosophy of religion

part V|46 pages

Response and outlook

chapter 15|27 pages

Christianity in the Western world after the decline

Challenges, opportunities and outlooks

chapter 16|16 pages

Exploring the past for a stronger future

A reflection on meaning and hope