Will young Americans truly turn toward liberal Christianity?

(ed – I almost did not publish this. Do not like to “pick an argument” with such a public figure and that is not my intent.)

Normally I do not pay much attention to what American religion scholar Diana Butler Bass writes. That is not a dig. She writes prolifically on issues not normally of interest to me.

She maintains an active blog at Beliefnet.com titled “Christianity for the Rest of Us”. It appeared on my mental radar screen because of a post a few weeks ago by Midwest Conservative Journal in which she criticizes strongly the Archbishop of Canterbury because he asked Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church to carry but not wear her mitre when she visited Southwark Cathedral. Among other things she writes:

In case the Church of England hasn’t noticed, this is why people are rejecting Christianity. It isn’t because some Christians chose women to lead their churches, ask questions about traditional renderings of theology and the Bible, doubt God’s existence, or want their gay and lesbian friends and relatives to be part of their church communities. Canterbury, please know that western people are rejecting Christianity because–as noted in a recent survey of young Americans–Christians are “out of touch with reality.”

Try to follow her reasoning here and in the rest of her post. Christianity is in decline in the West. Why? Because – and this is my characterization of her argument – Christianity in the West is more concerned with theology and practice than with a host of other issues.

She returns to this theme in her recent post concerning Anne Rice announcing her departure from Christianity but not Christ:

Second, Ms. Rice is rejecting Christianity because it is illiberal. For almost four decades, the standard narrative is that Christianity in the West is dying because it is too liberal, not conservative enough, not theologically or ethically demanding. Rice’s comment moves in the exact opposite direction. She’s rejecting the toxic admixture of conservative ideology and Jesus-faith. She has been aching for a faith that is open–and not “anti-” everything; a faith that demonstrates the love, kindness, and mercy of its founder, not the “quarrelsome” disputations of Jesus’ all-too-human followers. If Anne Rice is any indication, Americans are hankering for a new sort of liberal faith the actually resembles that which Jesus taught and embodied.

There is quite a problem here for churches. Conservative churches will, as they have been for several years now, continue to decline as their message of exclusion fails to address the most pointed questions of the day. However, the traditionally liberal churches can’t really grow because they are too caught up in “quarrelsome” disputations of the very issues that seekers like Ms. Rice want to move past.

This confirms my interpretation of her comments regarding the Archbishop of Canterbury versus(?) the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

• Christianity in the West is in decline.
• It is in decline because it is too conservative.
• Young Americans are looking for Christianity that is liberal.
• But liberal churches are not growing because they are still mired in ongoing quarrels with conservative Christians.

Granted this is a highly simplified presentation of the main points of her argument(?). We can elaborate on what Bass means by “conservative” and “liberal”.

My intent is not to trash talk or pick a fight with someone who is surely a better scholar than I will ever be. Nor especially to argue with her concerning the sociological issues. So much as to address some of the issues and the points she raises.

Decline(?)

Diana Butler Bass appears to argue that Christianity in the West is in decline because it is too conservative. But churches/denominations and congregations showing numerical growth generally are more conservative in their theology and practice. And traditionally liberal churches/denominations are losing members. That she can provide examples of thriving congregations that are center-to-left does not disprove the general pattern. And the single example of a famous mystery novelist is hardly enough evidence for Bass to generalize that Christianity in the West is in decline because it is not liberal enough.

Bass seems to argue that liberal churches/denominations cannot grow because they are still caught up in conflicts over theology and practice. Are we seriously being asked to believe there are no liberal churches/denominations that are mostly or completely past these disputations? At exactly what point should we be able to expect young Americans to begin coming (back?) in droves to liberal churches/denominations? If young Americans reject Christianity because Christians are “out of touch with reality” – too conservative that is – is there any evidence they are attracted to more liberal Christianity? Or will there always be some excuse/explanation for why liberal churches/denominations generally are more in decline than conservative churches/denominations?

So what?

Let us assume for the sake of argument that (1) young Americans and Europeans reject Christianity because it is too conservative and even that (2) they would be drawn in large numbers to Christianity if it reforms and becomes liberal. (By “conservative” and “liberal” I mean what Diana Butler Bass appears to mean by these terms.)

Why should the Christian church reform itself in order to meet the values and expectations of modern Western society? Did the Christian church reform itself to meet the values and expectations of Greek and Roman society? It may be that the received Christian faith that young Americans and Europeans reject is precisely what they need and to their own surprise may at times discover they want. The “we need to change in order to become more attractive to society” argument is not compelling.

Truth?

This in turn raises the question of Truth. What if Diana Butler Bass is asking Christianity to abandon Truth – however one understands that – in order to satisfy those who do not know or want it? In her defense however when she writes “Americans are hankering for a new sort of liberal faith the [sic] actually resembles that which Jesus taught and embodied” we can surmise Bass would argue that liberal Christianity – as she understands it – is in fact the Truth which conservative Christian churches/denominations have abandoned.

Good. Because then we can have an honest debate/discussion. About what Jesus taught and embodied. About the nature of the Christian faith. And about the purpose of the Christian gospel.