Shopping for Faith

Shopping for Faith is as good as it gets in assessing the U.S. religion scene at millennium's end. Cimino and Lattin present a picture of multiple trends headed in often contradictory directions. —Robert Ellwood, emeritus professor of religion, University of Southern California American religion flourishes in a consumer culture, and presents us with a bewildering array of choices as we navigate the shopping mall of faith. The authors identify dozens of trends which will shape American religion in the next century and bring together the latest research and intimate portraits of Americans describing their beliefs, their religious heritage, and their spiritual search. With warmth and style the authors document how consumerism shapes religious practice -- from conservative evangelical worship to the most esoteric New Age workshop.

Preface Introduction: Belief in America 1 Part 1 Searching for Self and Spirit 1 The Divorce Between Spirituality and Religion 9 2 Varieties of Spirituality 17 3 Bringing Spirit to Life 31 Postscript: American Spirituality - Mystical and Practical 49 Part 2 Searching for Community 4 Congregations and Consumers 55 5 Congregations on the Cutting Edge 76 6 Religion in the Post-Denominational Era 95 Postscript: Evangelism - Not Just for Evangelicals 124 Part 3 Searching for Common Culture 7 The Politics of Faith 131 8 Culture Wars, Social Peace 143 9 Emerging Social Issues 158 Postscript: Personal Faith, Public Life 183 Afterword 187 Notes 191 Bibliography 205 List of Link Page Headings 215 Index 217