Icon (Close Menu)

Inversely proportionate

Philip Jenkins, author of Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can’t Ignore the Bible’s Violent Verses, faces statistical reality and offers a theory to explain it:

I am a member of the Episcopal Church, USA (hereafter TEC). I am increasingly worried that in a few years, I might be THE member of the Episcopal Church, USA, the last of my kind.

As Rod Dreher, Ross Douthat and others have pointed out, the church has just issued a summary of its attendance statistics from 2000 to 2010, and they are incredibly bad even by the standards of liberal mainline denominations. Nationwide, average Sunday attendance fell by 23 percent in that short decade, from 857,000 to 658,000.

… My main worry is that TEC authorities are huddled around trying to respond to this crisis, and deciding that the church must conform its values still more closely to those of secular society — you know, to become truly relevant, to face the challenges of the 1970s.

… The numerical growth and success of a religious denomination is inversely proportionate to the favorable treatment it receives in major liberal media outlets (New York Times, Washington Post, Nation, New Republic). Examples? The Episcopal Church USA versus Mormons or Catholics; Episcopalians/Anglicans in North America versus Africa.

Read the rest.

Douglas LeBlanc
Douglas LeBlanc
Douglas LeBlanc is the Associate Editor for Book Reviews and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. John’s Parish Church on Johns Island, South Carolina. They look after cats named Finn and Mittens.

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Top headlines. Every Friday.

MOST READ

CLASSIFIEDS

Most Recent

Indian Judge Seeks Help in Churches’ Disputes

A high-court judge in India has argued that churches may need the government’s help in handling frequently disputed assets, and has asked two leading political parties to address the idea.

Saint Augustine’s Stabilizes Finances with Lease Deal, Staff Cut

Saint Augustine’s College, the oldest historically Black Episcopal college, has taken major steps to stabilize its precarious financial situation. In recent weeks, it announced a $70 million deal to lease some of its property to a sports stadium firm and a halving of its workforce, which will reduce annual operating costs by $17 million.

Global Partnerships Officer Among Lambeth Honorees

Canon Paul Feheley was one of 26 honorees for the Lambeth Awards in 2024, which have been presented annually by the archbishop since 2016 to recognize distinguished service to the church. These non-academic awards are an extension of the archbishop’s privilege to grant academic degrees, which dates back to 1533.

Lord Harries on George Herbert in Advent

Lord Harries draws attention to George Herbert’s awareness of his sinfulness, and rightly points out that this is something modern people, including many modern Christians, would like to avoid thinking about.