RESTLESS GODS: The Rennaissance of Religion in Canada

RESTLESS GODS: The Rennaissance of Religion in Canada
Reginald W. Bibby - Sociology prof. U. of Lethbridge, Alberta.
(c) 2002 Stoddart Pub. Toronto. pp.286 price 32.95 hc
Ch. 1. The Old Story about What’s Happening in the Churches.
In the last half of the 20th century secularization was something that was considered a given. Churches were considered of little or no influence in society. Like the rest of society they were experiencing secularization. Church attendance in the pre-1960s was good, 60% in 1945 (Gallop Poll.) After the 60s there was a steady decline in percentage of people attending church. Consumerism was having an impact. Other reasons are discussed. Secularization has not destroyed religion but it has actually stimulated a change in religion.
Ch.2. Some Very Good News via Some Very Bad Myths.
Three myths are explored regarding what is happening on the religious scene. 1. People are switching. According to the "Project Canada" survey, "most people continue to more or less inherit the religions of their parents". p.41. 2. People are dropping out.. A fact that contributes to this myth is that we have "identification without involvement", p.46. and that should not be considered dropping out. 3. People are not receptive. This is an overgeneralization. More people are interested in religion than sports. An increasing number of people, especially teens, look to religious figures for rites of passage. i.e. wedding ceremonies, birth related ceremonies, funerals.
Ch.3. The New Story of What’s Happening in the Churches.
"Reigious needs have readily outlived the groups that meet them." p.59. Canadian conservatism and tolerance create an environment where drastic changes on the reigious scene are going to be rare. The author sees great permancy in the established denominations and religious organizations which have what it takes to become relevant and respond to ongoing changes. He calls it revitalization. The proportion of Canadians that identify with Conservative Protestantism has for the past hundred years been about 8%. From 1961 to 1991 the percentage of Mainline Protestants declined form 41% to 23%. In the 1990s the proportion of Mainline attenders stabilized. The number of Catholics has increased but only 20% are attenders. Other faiths are experiencing numerical growth through immigration. In conservative protestant groups teenage church attendance is on the rise. With the exception of the Catholics in Quebec there seems to be evidence of a Canadian religious renaissance beginning.
Ch. 4. Ongoing Questions Only the Gods Can Answer.
The demand for answers to ultimate questions is as high as it has ever been. Questions of origin and purpose are strong. The majority of people are not finding answers to these questions. Questions about happiness and suffering are very prevalent by all ages. Sept. 11 focused these questions. Freedom and relationships rank high on the happiness goals. Other goals are a comfortable life, success, spirituality and religion. The apparent paradox of suffering and a loving God is a challenge to many. A considerable amount of space is given to the topic of death and life after death. Statistics are presented about what people believe but reasons for these belieifs are not included.
Ch.5. Relentless Gods.
Agnostics and atheists form a very small proportion of the Canadian population. How people believe in God is verbalized in a great variety of ways. Beliefs are based on experience. The statistics on this claim have not changed much in the last 25 years. Prayer is convincing evidence of a belief in God. The author argues"for private prayers’ predictive value".
Ch. 6. Rumors and Revelation.
Much of the material in this chapter comes from a book by Peter Berger called A Rumor of Angels. Berger argues that evidence of God can be found by observing people just as well as observing the heavens. The strong response (damnation) to violent deeds is a god-thing. e.g.Sept. 11. The hope that springs eternal from the human breast is another evidence of God. e.g. cancer victims hope in the face of death. The human desire for and belief in order is another evidence of God. e.g. everything is going to be O K . Berger believes that humor and play are also "signals of transcendance". p.172. There is strong evidence that Berger’s "rumors" were closer to predictions, i.e. The transcendance of justice, hope, and order, etc.
Ch.7. What People Want From Churches.
Being interested in spirituality is not be taken as interest in churches. There seems to be a resurgence in the significance of churches in people’s lives and society in general. There is evidence of increasing interest in spiritual things in our country. This interest is proportional to age. The meaning of spirituality can be viewed as conventional and less conventional. For most, spirituality is very private. The lack of attendance in churches and/or religious organizations is having a negative impact on establishing values. "There is ... a great need for Canadians and religious groups to discover each other, for a connection to take place." p.225.
Conclusion.
The wise men (Marx, Durkenheim, Freud) who predicted the demise of religion were wrong. The supernatural was never in danger of disappearing. The religious groups that will survive in the 21st century "will be those that have been around a long time’. p.233. e.g. Catholic Church. Two different kinds of churches will survive. The first kind are those which minister to the gathered community. The second are those whose gathered community ministers to others. The evidence of increased spirituality and increased recognition of the presence of spiritual needs is a great challenge to religious groups. It would appear that they may not be up to it. Sept. 11 had a strong initial impact on religion and spirituality but it didn’t last. Tragedies are opportunities for churches to respond. The religious restlessness of Canadians may well be nothing less than the Spirit of God " moving on the face of the waters".
An Appendix explains the methodology of the national surveys used to gather the information that appears in this book.

Comment
A Canadian author and Canadian content. The statistical information becomes a bit of a mind bender at times. According to this author there is reason for optimism for spirituality in our country. That is good news. The day by day "news" doesn’t reflect obvious evidence about a spiritual renaissance in religion. What is quite clear however is that religious groups (churches) need to "get with it" and become difference making organizations. It is a time of great opportunity.This is a great resource for church leaders or anyone who has a strong interest in the spiritual landscape of our country.