The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church
by Christine Wicker
Book Summary Information
Author: Christine WickerEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-04-29
ISBN: 0061117161
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: HarperOne
Book Reviews of The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church
Book Review: Not as Strong as We Think We Are
Summary: 4 Stars
"We are not as strong... as we think we are..."
That powerful line from an old Rich Mullins song comes to mind as I think about evangelicalism in America today, especially after having read a new book by Christine Wicker: The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church (2008, Harper One).
Is evangelicalism dying? Christine Wicker thinks so, and she says she has the statistics to prove it. Wicker starts off her book with a grim prognosis:
"Evangelical Christianity in America is dying. The great evangelical movements of today are not a vanguard. They are a remnant, unraveling at every edge. Look at it any way you like: Conversions. Baptisms. Membership. Retention. Participation. Giving. Attendance. Religious literacy. Effect on the culture. All are down and dropping. It's no secret." (ix)
What is so devastating about Wicker's book is the way she picks apart our inflated numbers so she can demonstrate the small size of the remnant truly committed to evangelical beliefs. She whittles down the official number of Southern Baptists (16 million) by focusing on church attendance . She then whittles down our number of baptisms by pointing to the frequent practice of "rebaptizing" those who have already been baptized in our own churches (ouch!). She whittles the number down even further by taking into account inflated church numbers caused by church hoppers.
Wicker demonstrates with statistics that "image is everything" when it comes to evangelicalism. The number of evangelicals in our country is astoundingly low. We're not 25% of the population. We're nowhere close. At best, we make up 3.7%. One of the purposes of Wicker's book is to "take back" the voice of the religious from evangelicals:
"The majority of American Christians have been so marginalized by public rhetoric and news coverage that they don't even know they are the overwhelming majority of Christians and that they are the Christians who actually represent American religious values, not the religious right." (55)
I wish I could say that Wicker's bias inclines her to overstate her case in order to make a point. But I can't. She's right. As she painfully takes us into the world of megachurches, evangelism initiatives, house churches and the religious right, she ably demonstrates that evangelical power is crumbling.
At times throughout her book, Wicker (a cautious outsider who still considers herself linked to evangelicalism) provides insight that is spot-on. Take for example her reaction to Willow Creek's Reveal study, which concluded that one out of four people at the church was stalled or dissatisfied with their spirtual growth:
"Willow Creek pastors believe they have a solution. They must stop playing the role of parent and start playing the role of coah. Willow Creek leaders say mature Christians need to learn to feed themselves instead of relying on the church to feed them. There is only one problem with that solution. The majority of these dissatisfied Christians are already reading their Bibles, praying, giving, witnessing, and serving. They love Jesus and their lives are centered around him. They are able to feed themselves. It is their church that isn't able to feed them." (122)
Other times, Wicker's prescription is just plain wrong. She believes the underlying problem of the evangelical downfall is in our distinctiveness (165-6). The problem for Wicker is that evangelicals are hung up on distinctive beliefs that should be jettisoned for heightened popularity in contemporary society.
Of course, the mainline denominations who, over a century ago, took the advice Wicker espouses now have church buildings that are emptier than our own. No... our problem is not that we are too different; it's that we are not different enough. It is our lack of distinctiveness that has led to this crisis.
But regardless of some of Wicker's faulty prescriptions, her descriptions of an inflated evangelical bubble are painfully accurate. That's why church leaders need to read The Fall of the Evangelical Nation. We need a good dose of realism that cuts through all the hype of evangelical power and prestige. Rich Mullins was right. We're not as strong as we think we are.
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