Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening

by Diana Butler Bass

Overview

Diana Butler Bass, one of contemporary Christianity’s leading trend-spotters, exposes how the failings of the church today are giving rise to a new “spiritual but not religious” movement. Using evidence from the latest national polls and from her own cutting-edge research, Bass, the visionary author of A People’s History of Christianity, continues the conversation began in books like Brian D. McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity and Harvey Cox’s The Future of Faith, examining the connections—and the divisions—between theology, practice, and community that Christians experience today. Bass’s clearly worded, powerful, and probing Christianity After Religion is required reading for anyone invested in the future of Christianity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062003744
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/05/2013
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	294
Sales rank:	692,808
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Diana Butler Bass (Ph.D., Duke) is an award-winning author of eleven books, popular speaker, inspiring preacher, and one of America's most trusted commentators on religion and contemporary spirituality, especially where faith intersects with politics and culture.

Her bylines include The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN.com, Atlantic.com, USA Today, Huffington Post, Christian Century, and Sojourners. She has commented in the media widely including on CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, CBC, FOX, Sirius XM, TIME, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, and in multiple global news outlets.

Her website is dianabutlerbass.com and she can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She writes a twice-weekly newsletter - The Cottage - which can be found on Substack. 

Table of Contents

The Beginning 1

Part I The End of Religion

1 The End of the Beginning 11

2 Questioning the Old Gods 39

3 When Religion Fails 65

Part II A New Vision

4 Believing 103

5 Behaving 137

6 Belonging 169

7 The Great Reversal 199

Part III Awakening

8 Great Awakening 217

9 Performing Awakening 253

Acknowledgments 271

Notes 275

Index 288

What People are Saying About This

Parker J. Palmer

“…an important and life-giving book, written by … one of our finest religious writers.”

Brian D. McLaren

“Of Bass’s many excellent books, this is the most substantive, provocative, and inspiring yet. . . . it leads to a powerful finale of sage guidance for the future.”

Rob Bell

“Bass has done it again! She’s spot on-prophetic, compelling, and most importantly, hopeful.”

Harvey Cox

“Refreshing, evocative, well informed and original.”

Shane Claiborne

“Diana reminds us here that, before every great awakening, folks say it is impossible... and after every great awakening, folks say it was inevitable.”

Richard Rohr

“Join Bass in rebuilding religion from the bottom up!”

Phyllis Tickle

“It is one blockbuster of an analysis that is also a delight to read.”

Bill McKibben

“Bass explains how experience, connection, and service are replacing theology as keys to the next Great Awakening. It’s a fascinating story.”

Marcus Borg

“Interesting, insightful, impressive and important.”

Editorial Reviews

Bass has done it again! She’s spot on-prophetic, compelling, and most importantly, hopeful.” — Rob Bell, author of Love Wins

“Refreshing, evocative, well informed and original.” — Harvey Cox, author of The Future of Faith

“Bass explains how experience, connection, and service are replacing theology as keys to the next Great Awakening. It’s a fascinating story.” — Bill McKibben, author of Earth and founder of 360.org

“Interesting, insightful, impressive and important.” — Marcus Borg, author of Speaking Christian

“…an important and life-giving book, written by … one of our finest religious writers.” — Parker J. Palmer, author of Let Your Life Speak

“Join Bass in rebuilding religion from the bottom up!” — Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation and author of Falling Upward

“It is one blockbuster of an analysis that is also a delight to read.” — Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence

“Diana reminds us here that, before every great awakening, folks say it is impossible... and after every great awakening, folks say it was inevitable.” — Shane Claiborne, author and activist

“Of Bass’s many excellent books, this is the most substantive, provocative, and inspiring yet. . . . it leads to a powerful finale of sage guidance for the future.” — Brian D. McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity

“Bass ably analyzes the struggle for awareness and change that defines spiritual awakening.” — Publishers Weekly Religion Bookline (starred review)

From the Publisher

Join Bass in rebuilding religion from the bottom up!

Richard Rohr

…an important and life-giving book, written by … one of our finest religious writers.

Parker J. Palmer

It is one blockbuster of an analysis that is also a delight to read.

Phyllis Tickle

Diana reminds us here that, before every great awakening, folks say it is impossible... and after every great awakening, folks say it was inevitable.

Shane Claiborne

Bass has done it again! She’s spot on-prophetic, compelling, and most importantly, hopeful.

Rob Bell

Of Bass’s many excellent books, this is the most substantive, provocative, and inspiring yet. . . . it leads to a powerful finale of sage guidance for the future.

Brian D. McLaren

Refreshing, evocative, well informed and original.

Harvey Cox

Bass explains how experience, connection, and service are replacing theology as keys to the next Great Awakening. It’s a fascinating story.

Bill McKibben

Interesting, insightful, impressive and important.

Marcus J. Borg

Interesting, insightful, impressive and important.

Marcus Borg