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heidihaverkamp's review against another edition
4.0
I'm going to have to put this down, mostly because I get depressed whenever I open it. Maybe I'll try again some other time. It's good - very good. Very insightful. But it makes me feel extinct, and that's not really working for me right now. When I'm feeling less irrelevant, I'll try again.
karaswils's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
I was supposed to read this as part of a book club, and then I went back and read it on my own. I believe Bass has done a good job of characterizing the Christian religious landscape. I don’t agree with some of her characterizations of those who cling to doctrine as those who are fearful of awakening, but that is a small bone to pick. Overall, her arguments are clear, well-articulated, and provocative.
jackalackin's review against another edition
3.0
Diana Butler Bass puts a positive spin on the changing American attitudes toward religion and spirituality. I think there are some good insights in here, but I found my attention continually wandering, perhaps because this is an issue I've read and heard a lot about. I think I ultimately wanted more "in their own words" anecdotes from people figuring out spirituality or religion and how they work together, and less of the author's spin on the subject. I also think it's difficult to draw any conclusions about the changing spiritual/religious landscape of the US while the ground is still shifting.
drbobcornwall's review against another edition
5.0
Are we in the midst of a great spiritual awakening? Reports from the churches might suggest otherwise, but there is other evidence that despite the apparent decline being experienced by institutional religious entities, there is great interest in spirituality. The New Atheists have tried to gain a foothold, but their message of a godless world appeals only to a few. Science has its place, but seems not to answer all humanity’s questions. But, the same is true for older forms of religion. While people aren’t giving up on God, growing numbers of people, especially among the younger generations aren’t convinced that churches, synagogues, mosques, or temples can fill the spiritual void they’re feeling. Thus, the fastest growing religious groupings today are known as the “spiritual but not religious” or as “nones.”
There have been a number of books and studies that address this issue. Many of these authors believe that we’re either on the verge of a spiritual awakening or we’re in the middle of one. As a historian, I’m cognizant that it’s often difficult to truly gauge something transformative while you’re in the middle of it. We can look back and see signs of change happening in the 16th century or the 18th century and deem these to be times of reformation or awakening. During such moments, old forms give way to new forms, or at least radically changed forms, but are we at such a moment? Only time will tell.
The rest of the review is found on my blog -- http://www.bobcornwall.com/2012/05/christianity-after-religion-review.html
There have been a number of books and studies that address this issue. Many of these authors believe that we’re either on the verge of a spiritual awakening or we’re in the middle of one. As a historian, I’m cognizant that it’s often difficult to truly gauge something transformative while you’re in the middle of it. We can look back and see signs of change happening in the 16th century or the 18th century and deem these to be times of reformation or awakening. During such moments, old forms give way to new forms, or at least radically changed forms, but are we at such a moment? Only time will tell.
The rest of the review is found on my blog -- http://www.bobcornwall.com/2012/05/christianity-after-religion-review.html
alexfromatlanta's review against another edition
4.0
If you enjoy the likes of Rob Bell or Matthew Paul Turner, you'll probably like this book. The author makes the case for a new brand of Christianity that brings back the essential spiritualism that originally spurred man's interest in the divine.
While the book is easy to read and does speak to many of the needs of the modern church, I do personally take issues with some of Bass's theological choices. She re-imagines Christianity as something fundamentally different that what it currently is. I appreciate her goal of divorcing the drab and outdated bits of religion from the fundamental spiritual role of faith, but in the end, I don't see her case for why anyone should stay a Christian.
If the historic process of adhering to a church doesn't speak to modern needs and if modern spiritualism moves beyond the literalist interpretation of historical church dogma, then what value does Christianity have over self-directed spiritualism? Probably, she didn't write this book for an outside audience.
While the book is easy to read and does speak to many of the needs of the modern church, I do personally take issues with some of Bass's theological choices. She re-imagines Christianity as something fundamentally different that what it currently is. I appreciate her goal of divorcing the drab and outdated bits of religion from the fundamental spiritual role of faith, but in the end, I don't see her case for why anyone should stay a Christian.
If the historic process of adhering to a church doesn't speak to modern needs and if modern spiritualism moves beyond the literalist interpretation of historical church dogma, then what value does Christianity have over self-directed spiritualism? Probably, she didn't write this book for an outside audience.
rtq66's review against another edition
4.0
A really good read that provides great insight into the current cultural and religious context. Bass offers a provocative reading of current history in conversation with a larger historical narrative while providing key insights to current challenges in a spirit of genuine hopefulness.
k_gregz's review against another edition
5.0
Anyone with faith and alive today should read this book. It is spot on about my generation's struggles with established religion and proposes a new spiritual community that can lead to a more socially just and forgiving world. I loved this book and even continued to pick it up every night before JK Rowling's latest book, which is saying something!
tericarol21's review
4.0
I wish I could give half stars--I would give 4.5. I thought this was the best of DBB's writing so far. Though I would not say there was a ton of new-to-me information, I will say that she does a wonderful job organizing, putting words to, and presenting things many of us have been thinking about for a long time. This is an accessible read even for non-professional church people. I so appreciate the clarity with which the author offers us both history and a framework for the present, along with hope for the future but not a program for how to get the future right now.
I do think the framework would be enhanced by exploration/overlay of Strauss and Howe's generational theory, and I wish there had been more interplay between these two understandings of how the culture of the world and the culture of the church work together/against each other/etc.
We'll probably use this for a church book group at some point, as it's so insightful yet manageable.
I do think the framework would be enhanced by exploration/overlay of Strauss and Howe's generational theory, and I wish there had been more interplay between these two understandings of how the culture of the world and the culture of the church work together/against each other/etc.
We'll probably use this for a church book group at some point, as it's so insightful yet manageable.
cookingwithelsa's review against another edition
5.0
I wanted something more in this conclusion beyond a 4-step individual plan but I suppose that's the point. The only thing that you can really change us yourself. The rest will follow.
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