Caught in the Current: British and Canadian Evangelicals in an Age of Self-Spirituality (Volume 14) (Advancing Studies in Religion Series)

History

Reimer, Sam

World

McGill-Queen's University Press

Evangelical Christianity is known for its defence of traditional Christian teachings and resistance to liberalizing trends. Many Western evangelicals themselves do not yet realize how their faith is being reshaped by the modern zeitgeist. Caught in the Current explores how and why Western evangelicals are changing. Church attendance is declining, conservative moral positions are unpopular, and young people are drifting away from the faith. Evangelism is avoided, so few are joining congregations. Yet these surface changes are only symptoms of a more profound shift that church leaders have not fully apprehended. Drawing upon 125 interviews with British and Canadian clergy and active laity, Sam Reimer argues that evangelicals have been deeply influenced by a post-Christian culture that has rejected institutional religious authority and embraced self-spirituality. As individual evangelicals struggle to navigate these waters, and to distance themselves from politicized evangelicalism in the United States, they are caught between conformity and resistance, between faithfulness to church moral teachings and accommodation of secular values. Many are responding by turning inward to define their Christian beliefs for themselves. The ironic result is that the decline of institutional religious authority is not happening just in Western culture, but within evangelical churches as well. Caught in the Current is an insightful and nuanced assessment of how British and Canadian evangelicals are navigating a post-Christian culture, often in ways that are distinct from how their counterparts in the United States approach it.

Evangelicals and the Continental Divide: The Conservative Protestant Subculture in Canada and the United States (Volume 26) (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

In Evangelicals and the Continental Divide Sam Reimer finds surprising levels of uniformity among evangelicals on both sides of the US-Canadian border. He shows that both American and Canadian evangelicals share highly similar religious identities, central beliefs, moral and subcultural boundaries, and social attitudes. Reimer found that American evangelicals did not distinguish themselves through greater conservatism or greater commitment but did connect politics and faith to a much greater extent than their Canadian counterparts, while evangelicals in Canada evinced greater tolerance. He argues that these differences point to an enduring importance of national historical and cultural differences, whereas regional differences are not as significant. countries as well as a representative poll of 3,000 Canadians and 3,000 Americans, Reimer details the inner workings of the evangelical subculture and gives us an understanding of evangelical similarities and differences across the two nations.

Evangelicals and the Continental Divide: The Conservative Protestant Subculture in Canada and the United States (McGill-Queen’s Studies in the Hist of Re) (Volume 26)

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

In Evangelicals and the Continental Divide Sam Reimer finds surprising levels of uniformity among evangelicals on both sides of the US-Canadian border. He shows that both American and Canadian evangelicals share highly similar religious identities, central beliefs, moral and subcultural boundaries, and social attitudes. Reimer found that American evangelicals did not distinguish themselves through greater conservatism or greater commitment but did connect politics and faith to a much greater extent than their Canadian counterparts, while evangelicals in Canada evinced greater tolerance. He argues that these differences point to an enduring importance of national historical and cultural differences, whereas regional differences are not as significant. countries as well as a representative poll of 3,000 Canadians and 3,000 Americans, Reimer details the inner workings of the evangelical subculture and gives us an understanding of evangelical similarities and differences across the two nations.

Many religious scholars have noted a decline in institutional forms of religion in Canada. With fewer Canadians regularly attending church or following denominational proscriptions, is institutionalized religion becoming a thing of the past?  In A Culture of Faith, Sam Reimer and Michael Wilkinson argue that evangelical Protestants continue to show strong allegiance to their congregations. Through a national study, including interviews with over five hundred pastors and an analysis of financial resources, the authors argue that evangelical Protestant congregations demonstrate greater resiliency within a broader context of declining religiosity. According to their findings, weekly church attendance among evangelicals is substantially higher than the national average, church attendees say they get significant enjoyment from their religious groups, youth participation is high, and evangelicals are more likely to volunteer. While there may be signs of decline on the horizon, Canadian evangelical congregations seem to remain vital at a time when most other Christian traditions are waning.   A clearly presented study of evangelical beliefs, organizations, leaders, and finances, A Culture of Faith reveals the current strength of evangelical Protestantism and its implications for the future of religion in Canada.

A Culture of Faith: Evangelical Congregations in Canada

Wilkinson, Michael

Many religious scholars have noted a decline in institutional forms of religion in Canada. With fewer Canadians regularly attending church or following denominational proscriptions, is institutionalized religion becoming a thing of the past? In A Culture of Faith, Sam Reimer and Michael Wilkinson argue that evangelical Protestants continue to show strong allegiance to their congregations. Through a national study, including interviews with over five hundred pastors and an analysis of financial resources, the authors argue that evangelical Protestant congregations demonstrate greater resiliency within a broader context of declining religiosity. According to their findings, weekly church attendance among evangelicals is substantially higher than the national average, church attendees say they get significant enjoyment from their religious groups, youth participation is high, and evangelicals are more likely to volunteer. While there may be signs of decline on the horizon, Canadian evangelical congregations seem to remain vital at a time when most other Christian traditions are waning. A clearly presented study of evangelical beliefs, organizations, leaders, and finances, A Culture of Faith reveals the current strength of evangelical Protestantism and its implications for the future of religion in Canada.

Politics & Social Sciences

Sociology

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Reimer, Sam. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Reimer, Sam

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Reimer, Sam. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Caught in the Current: British and Canadian Evangelicals in an Age of Self-Spirituality (Volume 14) (Advancing Studies in Religion Series)

Caught in the Current: British and Canadian Evangelicals in an Age of Self-Spirituality (Volume 14) (Advancing Studies in Religion Series)

Evangelicals and the Continental Divide: The Conservative Protestant Subculture in Canada and the United States (McGill-Queen’s Studies in the Hist of Re) (Volume 26)

Evangelicals and the Continental Divide: The Conservative Protestant Subculture in Canada and the United States (Volume 26) (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

A Culture of Faith: Evangelical Congregations in Canada

A Culture of Faith: Evangelical Congregations in Canada