Table of Contents

Contents List of Figures ix Preface to the Second Edition xiii Acknowledgments xvii 1 Introduction 1 2 Diversity 12 3 Belief 29 4 Involvement 41 5 Congregations 56 6 Leaders 75 7 Liberal Protestant Decline 88 8 Polarization 101 9 Conclusion 117 Notes 123 Index 147

About the Author

Mark Chaves is professor of sociology, religion, and divinity at Duke University. He is the author of Congregations in America and Ordaining Women: Culture and Conflict in Religious Organizations.

Reviews

Winner of the 2012 Christianity and Culture Book Award, Christianity Today "Chaves has provided new scholars, nonspecialists in the sociology of religion, and the general public with an accessible and accurate text that gathers a wide range of information into one place, and does so in barely more than 100 pages. Chaves's American Religion will serve as an important introduction to the topic and a reference for scholars, religious leaders, and the general public for years to come."--Paul J. Olson, Sociology of Religion "In this brief book sociologist Chaves traces changes occurring in religion in the U.S. between 1972 and 2008... Chaves demonstrates that the overall picture of religion in the U.S. is one of continuity and stability rather than dramatic change. Nevertheless subtle changes are occurring, and this book does an excellent job of sifting through the data."--Choice "American Religion, for such a thin book, packs a punch, providing helpful insights and myth-busting perspectives on almost every page. This really is a book that every pastor should take the time to read. It will be a quick but powerful dose of the state of American religion."--Andrew Root, Word & World "Chaves' study offers a rich, textured, and well-researched account of American religiosity. The book will serve to advance undergraduate and graduate learning concerning the complex and oftentimes complicated nexus between U.S. religion and politics. It will also interest scholars, policymakers, and the general public who care about how religion currently features in American public life and what future directions it may take."--Catherine E. Wilson, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies "Unsettling though it may be, American Religion is essential reading for pastors and lay leaders alike who want to understand the larger social context in which the mainline church both struggles and endures."--Rebekah Peeples Massengill, Interpretation "Chaves's book raises more questions than it answers. Maybe that should be expected from a descriptive piece: the variety of data selected and presented naturally begs interpretation. For this reason, I think that Chaves's volume would also make a useful foil with graduate students in social science."--Penny Long Marler, Social Forces