Rodney Stark has authored lots of books, well-written and fascinating. Currently into his most recent, The Triumph of Christianity, published 2011. As a respected sociologist, he's specialized in the sociology of religion including original research. His stuff has broken a lot of myths about Christianity's history and even its practice currently in America. Here's what I learned today:
So-called mainline denominations over the past few decades have been losing "market share." Their decline is linked to decreasing demands on their members regarding belief and morality (even to the point of Episcopals tolerating an outspoken aetheist as bishop). But denominations that require higher commitment and doctrinal belief have been growing fast!
There's another group that doesn't fit into denominations and on which there's no growth data because they haven't existed that long, a "large and very rapidly growing body of evangelical, nondenominational churches" (I've belonged to them half my life). "Claims that those nondenominational churches, especially the megachurches among them, thrive by going 'light on doctrine and sin', are utterly false. These are demanding churches."
In my experience, "demanding" churches are alive and rewarding.
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