A wide open, Wiki-community, more dependent on the wisdom of many will dominate the church of tomorrow says author and speaker Diana Butler Bass.
This is just one trend Diana, a historian by background, has been tracking. She says the next generation is much more apt NOT to believe in God – so it’s important for churches to come clean in the areas of honesty and a willingness to admit we don’t know it all.
Enjoy the words of this gifted and insightful thinker.
Watch the Full Program.
Rather Listen? Click here to download the Mp3 to your portable device.
Click here to visit livingcompass.org
Synopsis
Diana, whose new book Christianity After Religion goes much deeper into the trends at play in the Christian faith today, explores the big picture. Here are my notes from the interview:
Fewer Americans Believe in God than You Think
While the popular number may be 90%, when age categories are considered, it’s much lower. In fact, Diana says among those 40 and younger the number is less than half.
Churches Must Be More Open to Questions
Diana says too many of today’s churches are not leaving enough space for the doubters. Tomorrow’s faith communities will have to more fully commit to engaging doubt and uncertainty.
It’s About Transformation
Too much of the Church still favors comfort over change – and the transformational effects of the Gospel go untapped. Diana says this will have to change in order for the church to fully flourish.
About Diana Butler Bass
Diana Butler Bass is an author, speaker, and independent scholar specializing in American religion and culture. She holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of eight books including Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening, forthcoming from HarperOne in February 2012. She is currently a Chabraja Fellow with the SeaburyNEXT project at Seabury Western Theological Seminary, Diana regularly consults with religious organizations, leads conferences for religious leaders, and teaches and preaches in a variety of venues. She blogs at The Huffington Post and Patheos and regularly comments on religion, politics, and culture in the media including USA TODAY, Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, CNN, FOX, PBS, and NPR. She and her family live in Alexandria, Virginia.
Sponsors I Mentioned
Living Compass points individuals, families and organizations in a whole new direction for healthy living by providing them with resources, coaching and education. The Living Compass program is based on the belief that each individual knows what she or she needs to do to become more whole. It is also based on the belief that we cannot be whole by ourselves: this journey will require the support and care of others as well.
I believe that we are called to serve. This concept comes from the observation that Jesus fed the multitude, healed the sick, drew people to Him before He began to preach. When you are sharing the Word to a group of people whose stomachs are growling, what are they thinking about.
I serve to those who have served through a ministry called Serving Project, and we provide for the needs of the veterans we serve. When they ask why we do this, at no cost to them, we are able to share that this is a gift guided by the Ultimate Giver.
I also tell pastors who talk with me that I have an advantage over them. I can answer the questions of those who ask why I do this, because they cannot get up and walk out at 60 miles per hour. (One of our services is transportation)
We believe that HIS people need to be “in the streets”, touching lives. That is the best way to connect with people whose perception of the world around them is “everyone is in it for themselves”.
“We” are called to be doers, and givers.