Christianity After Religion
Mike Ervin
Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the
Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening
Author: Diana Butler Bass
Published: 2012
Genre: Religious non-fiction / Sociology of Religion
Comprehensive Summary
In Christianity After Religion, Diana Butler Bass
explores the dramatic shifts in American religious life, arguing that
institutional Christianity—especially in its traditional, denominational
forms—is experiencing a major decline. Yet this decline is not the end, she
insists, but rather the beginning of a new spiritual awakening.
Bass identifies three central developments shaping
religious change:
- The collapse of conventional religious institutions
(mainline and evangelical churches alike),
- The rise of personal, experiential, and practice-based
spirituality over doctrine and institutional loyalty,
- The emergence of a new kind of Christianity that is
relational, grounded in community, practice, and authenticity.
She divides the book into three parts: “The End,” “The
Beginning,” and “Awakening.”
Throughout, she draws parallels with previous periods
of religious transformation in American history, especially the Great
Awakenings, and suggests that we are currently in the midst of a Fourth Great
Awakening—not a return to religious orthodoxy, but a reimagining of
Christianity from the ground up.
Her thesis rests on the idea that belief (what),
behavior (how), and belonging (who) are being reconfigured:
- People now believe in different ways (less about
propositions, more about mystery and relationship),
- They behave differently (focus on spiritual practices
rather than religious rules),
- And they belong differently (less institutionally,
more in fluid, open, and inclusive networks).
Chapter-by-Chapter Brief Review
Part One: The End
Chapter 1 – The End of Religion
- Frames the
crisis: surveys show declining religious affiliation (“nones”) and a drop
in church attendance.
- Distinguishes
between “religion” (institutional) and “spirituality” (experiential).
- Suggests that
the current moment signals the end of “religion as we know it.”
Chapter 2 – Religion in the Rearview Mirror
- Tracks the
decline of Protestant dominance in American culture.
- Reviews how
mid-20th-century religiosity has unraveled post-1960s due to cultural,
political, and theological shifts.
- Introduces the
idea of cultural disaffiliation from inherited religious institutions.
Chapter 3 – A Crisis of Authority
- Examines how
religious leaders and structures have lost credibility—due to scandals,
hypocrisy, rigidity, and irrelevance.
- Critiques how
churches often respond with defensiveness and retrenchment instead of
renewal.
Part Two: The Beginning
Chapter 4 – How We Believe
- Argues that
traditional belief systems (static doctrines) are giving way to
relational, experiential beliefs.
- People believe
as they experience, not simply by accepting dogma.
- Faith is being
reclaimed as trust and wonder, not just assent to theological
propositions.
Chapter 5 – How We Behave
- Behavior is no
longer defined by moral codes or rule-keeping but by spiritual practices
(e.g., hospitality, forgiveness, contemplation).
- The rise of
practicing Christians over believing Christians.
- Practices form
the heart of modern faith.
Chapter 6 – How We Belong
- Belonging is
shifting from institutional membership to relational networks.
- People engage
communities based on shared values and purpose, not denominational
loyalty.
- “Belonging
before believing” is now a more accurate picture of modern spirituality.
Part Three: Awakening
Chapter 7 – Awakenings
- Reviews three
prior Great Awakenings in American history:
- 18th-century evangelical revival (Jonathan Edwards),
- 19th-century populist awakening (Second Great
Awakening),
- Early 20th-century social gospel and Pentecostalism.
- Suggests that
spiritual awakenings come during times of social upheaval, often led by
the marginalized.
Chapter 8 – A New Vision
- Casts a hopeful vision of a Fourth Great Awakening
marked by:
- Decentralization
- Openness to mystery
- Rejection of authoritarian religion
- Christianity is being reimagined as a way of life, not
a system of belief.
Chapter 9 – The Gifts of the Spirit
- Focuses on what a renewed Christianity can offer the
world:
- Justice
- Compassion
- Inclusion
- Healing
- Urges the church to lean into the Spirit’s movement,
instead of resisting cultural change.
Chapter 10 – New Beginnings
- Encourages spiritual communities to embrace
innovation, inclusion, and transformation.
- Calls for leaders who are curators of spiritual
experience, not gatekeepers of doctrine.
- Ends on a hopeful note: the end of
church-as-we-knew-it can be the start of something beautiful and faithful.
Themes and Takeaway
- Deconstruction is not destruction: dismantling old
forms of church can lead to deeper, more authentic faith.
- Spiritual awakening is not revivalism: it involves
social transformation, personal experience, and collective renewal.
- The church’s future lies in practice, experience, and
relational belonging - not in defending creeds or institutional
preservation.
Christianity After Religion