Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America
by Christian Smith, Oxford University Press, 440 pp., $34.99.
The main premise is: For a growing number of Americans, traditional religion, particularly Christianity, has simply become obsolete. Smith’s judgment of obsolescence does not imply that most people have come to view religion as false or disproven, brought down by critics. It’s more that religion simply no longer fits into the rhythms and values of modern life in America. The story he tells is about the growing sense of the superfluity of traditional religion—the assumption that it lacks practical utility, has lost its moral authority, and is increasingly out of sync with the cultural and social realities of the country today.
An important article from The Bulwark: The Decline and Fall of Christianity in America by Daniel Gullotta.
If we imagine religion as a technology, argues Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith, we can better see the cause of its decline: obsolescence.