"Weaker and robust" is a contradiction in terms, so you will have to guess at what the author meant to convey there, but the rest of it is interesting.
Yeah, it's a unique choice of words but I think the confusing factor is misplaced punctuation. The main thrust of the article is that people who are not active in their Christian faith are becoming less likely to nominally identify as Christian but they aren't any more likely to identify as atheist or agnostic.
He speaks of robust Christianity as growing, and non-orthodox Christianity as shrinking.
Robust Christianity is not shrinking, not even among young adults. It is holding quite firm and even growing in many important ways. It is increasingly liberalized, orthodoxy-denying, and lukewarm faith that’s tanking as if it has a mill stone around its neck.
So
Weak Christianity is getting weaker, and robust and orthodox Christianity is getting stronger in terms of adherents, if not by theological maturity.
or
Weak Christianity is getting weaker. Robust and orthodox Christianity is getting stronger in terms of adherents, if not by theological maturity.
It is not correct to believe that those who reject organized religion are thereby choosing a secular, materialist (in the metaphysical sense) worldview....while some do become classical atheists/agnostics, others...and probably more, I think...become followers of various forms of mysticism, encompassing things like magical crystals, homeopathic medicines, etc. The usual self-identification is "I'm spiritual but not religious"
I also thought the phrasing was odd. I wondered if Weaker Christianity was becoming a strong category. Christopher B's possibilities also make some sense.
I agree that the "spiritual but not religious" category has become large, though I don't know if it is growing. I know many at my place of employment, but mostly my own age. I don't interact with the younger people in other departments at this point. There was always an attraction that went with the idea of being a religious person in the mystic sense, thinking about Higher Things, and folks want to retain that.
Still, the most common belief I see up in NH is vague theism, a generalised approval of Jesus, combined with some resentment of something-or-other about a church they went to years ago. In politics, they found the church to be not entirely an ally for whatever it is they seriously worship.
Yeah, it's a unique choice of words but I think the confusing factor is misplaced punctuation. The main thrust of the article is that people who are not active in their Christian faith are becoming less likely to nominally identify as Christian but they aren't any more likely to identify as atheist or agnostic.
ReplyDeleteHe speaks of robust Christianity as growing, and non-orthodox Christianity as shrinking.
Robust Christianity is not shrinking, not even among young adults. It is holding quite firm and even growing in many important ways. It is increasingly liberalized, orthodoxy-denying, and lukewarm faith that’s tanking as if it has a mill stone around its neck.
So
Weak Christianity is getting weaker, and robust and orthodox Christianity is getting stronger in terms of adherents, if not by theological maturity.
or
Weak Christianity is getting weaker. Robust and orthodox Christianity is getting stronger in terms of adherents, if not by theological maturity.
It is not correct to believe that those who reject organized religion are thereby choosing a secular, materialist (in the metaphysical sense) worldview....while some do become classical atheists/agnostics, others...and probably more, I think...become followers of various forms of mysticism, encompassing things like magical crystals, homeopathic medicines, etc. The usual self-identification is "I'm spiritual but not religious"
ReplyDeleteI also thought the phrasing was odd. I wondered if Weaker Christianity was becoming a strong category. Christopher B's possibilities also make some sense.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the "spiritual but not religious" category has become large, though I don't know if it is growing. I know many at my place of employment, but mostly my own age. I don't interact with the younger people in other departments at this point. There was always an attraction that went with the idea of being a religious person in the mystic sense, thinking about Higher Things, and folks want to retain that.
Still, the most common belief I see up in NH is vague theism, a generalised approval of Jesus, combined with some resentment of something-or-other about a church they went to years ago. In politics, they found the church to be not entirely an ally for whatever it is they seriously worship.