The FaithX Project

Inventing the Future of Faith-Based Communities and Organizations

Correlation is Not Causation: Why Theology is Not What Makes Churches Grow

Part 3 of the series “The Dis-Integration of the Church” – click here for part 1, click here for part 2
Table of Contents

 

In the first post of this series, “Religious Homophily: A Theory of Conservative Church Fragmentation,” I presented sociological and psychological support for the notion that “conservative” Christian churches (principally, those whose congregations adhere to exclusive theological beliefs) fragment and divide because factions within the congregation eventually split over biblical interpretations. The research into conservative fragmentation was in response to Ken Howard’s article, “The Religion Singularity: A Demographic Crisis Destabilizing and Transforming Institutional Christianity,” which demonstrates that church splitting is on a significant rise, even to the point of outpacing the growth of Christianity itself.[1] In the second post of the series, “Status of the Liberal Church: Fragmentation or Dissipation?,” I explained that “liberal” Christianity suffers more from congregational dissipation than fragmentation. In other words, dwindling memberships occur more frequently in liberalism than actual church splits. Those who leave mainline Protestantism either transfer into an unaffiliated status or into evangelical churches.[2] In this article, I will seek to answer whether theological conservatism and strictness play a vital role in denominational switching, as well as what factors cause churches to grow numerically. In the end, the idea that liberal theologies cause a deterioration in mainline Protestantism, while conservative theologies produce growth, is an oversimplification of the relevant factors that account for congregational development. Though theological conservatism tends to correlate with numerical expansion, it does not do so consistently and in all cases. Nonetheless, correlation does not equate to causation. Conservatism and strictness are merely two among a myriad of other influences that are present among growing churches, including (most notably) higher birth rates, higher youth retention, and a focus on evangelistic efforts.

[Read more…]

Status of the Liberal Church: Fragmentation or Dissipation?

Part 2 of the series “The Dis-Integration of the Church”
click here for part 1

By Darren Slade

In my last posting, “Religious Homophily: A Theory of Conservative Church Fragmentation,” I presented sociological and psychological support for the notion that “conservative” Christian churches (principally, those whose congregations adhere to exclusive theological beliefs) fragment and divide because of hermeneutical tensions.[1] In other words, conservative congregations break apart because factions within the congregation eventually disagree and split over biblical interpretations. The research into conservative fragmentation was in response to Ken Howard’s recent article, “The Religion Singularity: A Demographic Crisis Destabilizing and Transforming Institutional Christianity,” which demonstrates that church splitting is on a significant rise, even to the point of outpacing the growth of Christianity itself.[2] But what about mainline-liberal churches?[3] Are they fragmenting just like conservatives or are they suffering from something else?[4] Is the overall decline in liberal membership a result of fragmentation or a completely different problem?

Surprisingly, exactly how we address this question relates to how we understand and define liberal Christianity. According to a 2008 Pew Forum panel discussion with leading experts on religion and politics, “liberal” Christians are those who adhere to “less traditional views of the divine, spirituality and religious authority.”[5] As a generalization, liberal theology adheres to an “experiential-expressive” concept of religious truth, which relegates religion to its non-cognitive experiences, thereby making the propositional nature of church dogma relative to its historical, cultural, philosophical, and psychological context.[6] Sydney Ahlstrom writes, “Liberalism was, first of all, a point of view which, like the adjective ‘liberal’ as we commonly use it, denotes both a certain generosity or charitableness toward divergent opinions and a desire for intellectual ‘liberty.’ Liberal theologians also wished to ‘liberate’ religion from obscurantism and creedal bondage so as to give man’s moral and rational powers larger scope.”[7] In other words, liberalism was a movement designed to reformulate traditional Christian doctrine into contemporary concepts with the use of modern reason and science, which highlighted human autonomy, experiential knowledge, human virtue, and human progress.[8]

According to Ken Howard, the “conservative” wing of Christianity is merely the descendant of John Locke’s belief in the ability to discern universal truths from external sources and inductive reasoning. The “liberal” wing of Christianity, on the other hand, is merely the descendant of René Descartes’s belief in the ability to discern universal truths from internal sources and deductive reasoning. Ironically, while both sides present inaccurate caricatures of the other, they both fail to recognize that they are simply two different branches from the same foundationalist family tree. Both desire the total elimination of doubt, but their quest for certainty sought out either objective universal truths (conservatives) or subjective universal truths (liberals).[9]

[Read more…]

Religious Homophily: A Theory of Conservative Church Fragmentation

Part 1 of the series “The Dis-Integration of the Church”

Darren M. Slade

Editor’s note: Darren Slade is Director of Research at The FaithX Project. He contributes regularly to the FaithX blog, both curating research on church fragmentation and offering original contributions of his own, such as today’s post. This post is updated and expanded from the original.

According to Ken Howard’s research, the number of new Christian congregations throughout the world outpaces the total number of new Christians, indicating that the growth of worship centers is largely due to Christian fragmentation more than it is to evangelistic practices. In other words, churches are breaking up more than they are converting or reproducing more Christians.[1] Some have speculated that fragmentation and apostasy occurs in the West because of the architecture of church buildings, which no longer have any significance or relevance for the postmodern world. By isolating themselves to a particular building, Christianity has inadvertently separated itself from the rest of society.[2] However, a recent study by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) reveals that millennial Catholics are leaving the faith largely because they no longer view Catholicism as compatible with what they are learning in school, especially with regards to science. Most former Catholics simply no longer believe in God.[3] But what of non-Catholic Christians who remain in church, especially those who consider themselves conservative fundamentalists or evangelicals? What reasons could explain fragmentation within this demographic?

[Read more…]

New Pew Study Shows Continued Fragmentation in the Church

Parting-of-Lot-and-Abraham-cropped

By Darren M. Slade
FaithX Research Coordinator

According to a Pew Research Center survey in 2016, nearly half (49%) of American churchgoers have actively sought a new church home at least once in their lifetime.[1] Roughly three-in-ten Christians (29%) sought a new congregation within the last five years.[2] While the main reason for this pursuit was due to moving (34%), the second and third most common reasons for seeking a new congregation was marriage/divorce (11%) or conflict with clergy or another member of the congregation (11%).[3] Almost one-in-ten (7%) cite other problems with their previous church, including theological disagreements (3%), general dissatisfaction (3%), and difficulties with church leadership (1%).[4] This indicates that internal conflict constitutes a substantial reason for why church members switch congregations and change churches, confirming the long-held suspicion that church fragmentation is due (at least in part) to theological and hermeneutical strife.[5]

What is it about church life that compels American Christians to fight with each other and, ultimately, to abandon their houses of worship? Do we simply conclude that sinful humanity’s fallen nature precludes Christians from maintaining peace and harmony within the body of Christ? Is the problem regional where the individualistic, decentralized, populist, and pluralistic American culture (and even the West in general) creates a propensity for fragmentation? Does this trend reflect a more damaging christological implication, suggesting that Christ has failed in his duties to remain the “head” of an organized, coherent, and productive “body” (cf. Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18)? This is especially pertinent since conflict has permeated the church since its inception as indicated repeatedly in the New Testament epistles.

In his book, Paradoxy, Ken Howard argues that the focus of every church should not be doctrine or action but relationship with Jesus Christ. The foundation of this new paradigm is the acknowledgment that Jesus is Lord and that he loves humanity. This allows for a greater diversity of opinions and beliefs within the church body, but the presence of God’s love is the unifying factor that maintains a healthy and biblical congregation. A Christian is someone whose primary focus is to engage in a loving relationship with Christ and with others.[6]

Is this a potential solution to the problem of fragmentation or does it reflect a community desperately seeking to avoid conflict at all costs? Is love for Christ enough to stop this trend of church splitting?

Dennis Hollinger explains that problems in ministry are oftentimes the result of overemphasizing one of three areas in the Christian life. He argues that churches need to focus on their maturation process by developing growth, balance, and interaction between the head (doctrine, theology), heart (relationship, worship), and hands (action, charity) of the Christian community.[7]

Is this really the root cause of the problem? Are American Christians just overly immature and in need of good discipleship?

For me personally, I have attempted to be an active member of three separate churches in my life as a Christian, and I left every one of them due to internal conflict with members of the congregation, especially their leadership. While I have grown and learned from these experiences, the wounds of having been discounted, discouraged, and disowned continue to affect my understanding of Christianity today. And I know I am not alone. Even during my years at seminary and discussions with other PhD students, I have repeatedly encountered disenfranchised Christians who no longer feel welcomed inside a church building, though they remain anxious to build God’s kingdom. From my perspective, something drastic has to change in Christianity or the religion itself will surely die. [Read more…]

Announcing Our New Research Coordinator — Darren Slade

Darren SladeThe FaithX Project is happy to welcome aboard our new Research Coordinator, Darren Slade.

Darren’s role on the FaithX founding team will be as a Researcher, Editor, and Consultant, conducting and curating research related to the Religion Singularity and Vision-Guided Experimentation.

Darren is a published theologian and systematician who specializes in historical and speculative theology, as well as theoretical metaphysics. Darren is currently completing his doctoral studies at Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virgina.

Darren’s dominant strengths are education-related. He is a skilled researcher, teacher, lecturer, and writer. He has a special talent for theoretical systematization in philosophy and theology.

Darren is a native of Colorado, and lives just north of Denver. He is married and currently enjoys spending his leisure time remodeling his home, doing yard work, and publishing his research.

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