Although many Americans assume that Religious participation has declined in America, Finke and Stark present a different picture.
When theology becomes too logical, or too secular, it loses people..
They argue that Religious organizations can thrive only when they comfort souls and demand sacrifice.
They find that those groups that have gained the greatest numbers have demanded that their followers accept traditional doctrines and otherworldliness.
Finke and Stark challenge this as well.
Some observers assert that the rise in Churching rates indicates increased participation, not increased belief.
A "church-sect process" is always under way, Finke and Stark argue, as successful churches lose their organizational vigor and are replaced by less worldly groups.
The authors also explain why ecumenical movements always fail In short, Americans are not abandoning religion; they have been moving away from established denominations.
They also analyze why the Methodists then began a long, downward slide, why the Baptists continued to succeed, how the Catholic Church met the competition of ardent Protestant missionaries, and why the Catholic commitment has declined since Vatican II.
They explain how and why the early nineteenth-century churches began their descent, while two newcomer sects, the Baptists and the Methodists, gained ground.
But, as Finke and Stark show, not all denominations benefited.
Today, church membership includes about 6 out of 10 people.
In 1776, fewer than 1 in 5 Americans were active in church affairs.
Although many Americans assume that Religious participation has declined in America, Finke and Stark present a different picture
