“A man‘s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” Proverbs 18:14

Newsweek magazine’s cover story, “The Decline and Fall of Christian America” [April 13, 2009] continues to evoke controversy and conversation, and much of it is illuminating.  Now, Stephen Prothero of Boston University enters the fray with an incisive commentary that throws a few punches.

“To the surprise of liberals who fear the advent of an evangelical theocracy and to the dismay of religious conservatives who long to see their faith more fully expressed in public life, Christians are now making up a declining percentage of the American population.”

Give Fred Barnes credit.  He knows a good idea when he sees one.  Writing for the “Houses of Worship” column of The Wall Street Journal, Barnes tells the story of how he and his wife came to leave The Falls Church near Washington, DC and then to join another congregation.

As Mary Zeiss Stange sees it, women are being denied their rightful place of leadership in American religious life.  Her logic is clear, and she writes with a mixture of exasperation and energy.  Her op-ed column in today’s edition of USA Today, “Do Women Have a Prayer?,” reflects the way many people naturally frame the issue of the role of women in the church.

W. Bradford Wilcox of the University of Virginia has written a must-read article in the “Houses of Worship” column of The Wall Street Journal.  Wilcox, whose research and analysis is consistently top-notch and relevant, considers the impact of the expansion of the government sector in American society.  As the “welfare state” expands, the church recedes as the source of needed charity and social services.  Thus, as Wilcox notes, the expansion of the state is, in effect, a driving force behind the secularization of the society.

Looking at data from a massive survey taken in 1990, Barry Kosmin argued that many Americans saw religious beliefs as “a personal hobby.”  Now, with fresh data in hand, he asserts that contemporary Americans increasingly see religious faith as “more like a fashion statement, not a deep personal commitment.”

I was interviewed by Interfaith Voices about the “Sex and the Seminary” report released a few months ago.  Interfaith Voices is heard on public radio stations nationwide, and the podcast or audio format of this edition of the program is available here.