Decline of Christian America

Always looking to stir up some controversy, Newsweek magazine proclaimed this month “The Decline and Fall of Christian America.” Why a decline? The latest American Religious Identification Survey found a ten percent decline in the proportion of Americans who consider themselves Christian. While many of us would admit there has been a gradual decline of Christian influence in the country, I think most of us wouldn’t consider a ten percent decline worthy of the cover of a newsmagazine.

The article reminded me of a November essay in Newsweek magazine declaring that we are “A Post-Evangelical America.” It seems Newsweek is looking for any evidence that Christian influence is waning in this country.

In the current article on the decline of Christian America, the writer cites Albert Mohler (president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) to prove his point. Later on in the essay he cites the book, The Search for Christian America, written by Mark Noll, Nathan Hatch, and George Marsden. At this point I thought to myself: “Isn’t interesting how easily a secular journalist can find an evangelical scholar when the evangelical professor agrees with his or her conclusion?” Most of the time, secular journalists treat evangelicals either like backwoods fundamentalists or else like they don’t exist. But if evangelical scholars write something a secular journalist likes, they are given a national platform.

Back in November, the writer predicting a post-evangelical America argued that evangelical faith was being redefined because evangelicals were voting for Barack Obama. She noted, for example, that Darrell Bock (professor at Dallas Theological Seminary) voted for Obama. Again, it is amazing how the secular press can find an evangelical professor when they need one. Many years ago, I was in the newsroom of a Dallas newspaper explaining to an editor that there was a major seminary in Dallas. At the time, he didn’t even know Dallas Seminary existed.

Has there been a decline in the percentage of Americans who call themselves Christians? Yes. Does this portend the decline and fall of Christian America? I think Mark Twain’s quote about rumors of his death being greatly exaggerated might apply here. I’m Kerby Anderson, and that’s my point of view.