Christianity After Religion

1. What is Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass about?

• Exploration of religious transformation: The book examines the decline of traditional Christian institutions in America and the rise of a new spiritual awakening that emphasizes personal experience over institutional affiliation.
• Historical and cultural context: Bass situates these changes within broader social, political, and cultural shifts since the 1970s, framing them as part of a larger transformation in faith.
• Framework for understanding change: The book introduces a five-stage model of religious awakening—crisis, distortion, new vision, experimentation, and transformation—to map the ongoing evolution of Christianity.

2. Why should I read Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass?

• Insight into modern faith: The book provides a nuanced understanding of why many people now identify as "spiritual but not religious," revealing deeper spiritual longings rather than simple rejection of religion.
• Bridges spirituality and religion: Bass offers a hopeful perspective on how spirituality and institutional religion can coexist and enrich each other, addressing widespread discontent with traditional churches.
• Practical and theological relevance: Readers are challenged to rethink belief, behavior, and belonging, making the book valuable for both scholars and laypeople seeking to engage with new forms of Christian practice.

3. What are the key takeaways from Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass?

• Decline of traditional religion: There is a significant decrease in church attendance, institutional affiliation, and doctrinal certainty, signaling a shift away from 20th-century religious norms.
• Rise of experiential spirituality: More people identify as "spiritual but not religious," seeking direct, personal connection with the divine over institutional dogma.
• Integration of faith dimensions: The book highlights the importance of combining belief, behavior, and belonging for a holistic and authentic Christian life.
• Stages of awakening: Spiritual transformation follows a pattern from crisis to new vision and experimentation, with institutional renewal still emerging.

4. What does Diana Butler Bass mean by "the end of religion" in Christianity After Religion?

• Decline of institutional authority: "The end of religion" refers to the waning influence of traditional religious institutions, doctrines, and practices that once defined American Christianity.
• Shift to internal spirituality: The phrase signals a move from external systems of religion to more internalized, experiential forms of faith.
• Historical perspective: Bass draws on theologians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer to suggest that Christianity is shedding its old forms to reveal a new, more authentic faith.

5. How does Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass explain the "spiritual but not religious" phenomenon?

• Widespread cultural trend: About 30% of Americans now identify as "spiritual but not religious," reflecting a significant cultural shift also seen in other Western societies.
• Positive view of spirituality: Spirituality is associated with personal experience, authenticity, and connection, while religion is often seen as institutional and rigid.
• Critical phase of awakening: This phenomenon represents both discontent with traditional religion and a search for new ways to connect with God and community.

6. What are the three dimensions of religion—believing, behaving, and belonging—in Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass?

• Believing: Focuses on religious ideas and doctrines, with belief in God remaining high but becoming more diverse and less dogmatic.
• Behaving: Refers to religious practices like church attendance and prayer, which have become more individualized and less tied to institutional expectations.
• Belonging: Involves religious identity and community, with traditional labels less stable and many people identifying as multireligious or switching faiths.

7. What is the "belief gap" and how does it affect faith in Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass?

• Definition of belief gap: The belief gap is the disconnect between traditional Christian doctrines and what many people today find believable or meaningful.
• Shift from "what" to "how": People are moving from asking "What do I believe?" to "How do I believe?" focusing on lived experience over intellectual assent.
• Experiential faith: Bass advocates for understanding belief as trust and relationship, emphasizing faith as a lived, communal experience.

8. How does Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass describe the "Great Reversal" in faith formation?

• Reordering faith sequence: The "Great Reversal" shifts the traditional order from "believe, behave, belong" to "belong, behave, believe," prioritizing community and practice as the foundation of faith.
• Biblical and historical roots: Early Christianity emphasized belonging and practice before formal belief, as seen in Jesus' invitation to "Follow me."
• Experiential focus: This approach highlights faith as a lived, relational experience rather than mere intellectual agreement with doctrine.

9. How are spiritual practices defined and explained in Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass?

• Spiritual practices as crafts: Practices are likened to crafts that require intentionality, time, and teaching, moving from obligation to mastery and passion.
• Imitation of Jesus: Practices are rooted in imitating Jesus and embodying God's love through actions like hospitality, forgiveness, and service.
• Beyond programs: The book critiques programmatic church approaches, emphasizing that true spiritual practices are internal transformations nurtured in community.

10. What is the role of imitation in Christian spirituality according to Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass?

• Imitation as learning: Humans learn spiritual practices by observing and emulating others who embody faith.
• Jesus as model: Christians are called to imitate Jesus, enacting God's love in the world as he did.
• Intentional choice: Imitation must be conscious and discerning, choosing positive models to avoid replicating harmful behaviors.

11. How does Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass connect spirituality and social justice?

• Challenging the false divide: Bass argues that the separation between spiritual practices and social justice is artificial; authentic spirituality naturally leads to justice.
• Practices anticipate the kingdom: Actions like prayer, hospitality, and stewardship embody and anticipate God's reign of love, peace, and justice.
• Ethics in practice: Spiritual practices awaken individuals to God's work in the world, linking personal transformation with social action.

12. What is the "Great Turning" and the Fourth Great Awakening in Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass?

• Great Turning defined: The Great Turning describes a global shift from an old order to a new era based on justice, equality, and care for creation, with spiritual awakening as a driving force.
• Fourth Great Awakening: Bass situates current changes within the context of historical awakenings, identifying a new phase since the 1960s that emphasizes experiential faith, pluralism, and social justice.
• Choice and agency: The Great Turning is not inevitable; it requires conscious choices by individuals and communities to embrace new ways of believing, behaving, and belonging.