Christianity for the Rest of Us audiobook

I first became aware of this book shortly after it was published. I wish I had read it a long time ago. So much water under the bridge personally, and for the Church in America. Recommended.

While the popular media, both secular and religious, have long written off "Mainstream Protestant" denominations as dying, diminishing, and doomed, this book gives an alternative to this "conventional" thinking. Diana Butler Bass took a three-year pilgrimage exploring a number of vital mainline congregations throughout the United States. What she experienced led her to conclude that, in spite of being irrelevant, mainline Protestantism may indeed hold the essence of where the Church needs to be going in order to reach a increasingly post-modern, secularized society where the more and more people are identifying themselves as "spiritual, not religious."These newly-vibrant, traditional Protestant congregations have embraced a variety of styles in a variety of places, but each of them have discovered an "ancient/future" approach that both upholds the traditions of their foundations as well as speaking authentically to the society around them.I found Bass' analysis insightful and inspiring. I recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring how to transform and enlivening Christian community while still maintaining the center of what is important for the faith.

The common point of view these days is that the so-called "mainline churches" are losing members. Along with this is the assumption that they are doomed, and that only more conservative evangelical churches are growing. Diana Butler Bass offers a different perspective in her book that shares experiences discovered in a study supported by the Lilly Endowment.While it is true mainline congregations are having a difficult time, it is too soon to write an Obituary. Butler Bass studied ten mainline congregations that are growing and thriving. She shares ten practices that characterize these faith communities (hospitality, discernment, healing, contemplation, testimony, diversity, justice, worship, reflection, beauty) You may consider these to be signs of renewal.Some call this her best book-I haven't read her others- but I found this to be easy to read. Our Book Club just finished it. Our congregation is in transition at the present time. This was a helpful book that offers an interesting look at congregations from all regions of the United States. The so-called "mainline church" seems alive and well in these congregations.

I struggle with the agenda of the Christian Right and the idea that if you are liberal, well you can’t be Christian...The world is not in a cosmic battle between good and evil. The republican platform is not an interpretation of scripture. “By defining politics as winning, often in terms like destroying the enemy and defeating Satan they rightfully frighten people away from any talk of Christians in politics.” We need discussion, discernment, debate, and compromise.

Diana Butler Bass writes abut moderate to liberal churches that are doing well in the early 2000's. It was a joy to read this book 15+ years after it was published. It is still a relevant book as we look at the mainline church landscape. Diana is able to make you feel at home in these churches she visits. They each have rich stories to tell.

This book was transformative for me and a congregation. Great for congregational "reboot." Dr. Butler Bass visited several churches around the US a wrote about how each group focused on specific attributes of a healthy congregation, like beauty in worship, for instance. I'll always have a copy of this book. My dog ate part of it (really), and I replaced it.

This is such a good and important book. It's been out a few years now and is about mainline churches, but I find in compelling now even for someone like me who is not part of the mainline tradition. Anyone who cares about church would find this interesting.

Helpful

A theory-meets-practice book about how to run churches that are more about communities than about institutions. There's an inspiring passage about serving those in need, including homeless people in church activities, and making visible public statements about it. Some chapters explain specific traditions, virtues, or practices - like discernment or testimony - as the author understands them in light of her liberal Christianity.The book opens with an anecdote where she felt anxious during a moment of silent reflection in church and wanted something more other-directed. However, later in the book she does recognize the power of silence and centeredness.There is also a weird dig at an Episcopal priest who was defrocked for holding "druid services" to attract "neo-pagans". He is accused of embodying "relativism" and avoiding "difficult questions of moral goodness," which to me does not follow. However, a subsequent chapter on diversity is valuable and compensates for this error.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I didn't care for the title, but I really enjoyed the content of the book. The author spent three years traveling to different churches and then in the book describes different things that the churches are doing well. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking "I want to go to a church like that." It has given me so many ideas to think about and has made me look at different aspects of my own spiritual life. I found at the end of the book there was a section of study questions for each chapter. I wish I'd known about this section when I was reading the book. It would have enhanced the book for me a lot. Check them out if you choose to read this book.

I bought this when Diana Butler Bass spoke at a clergy conference in May of 2007. Her analysis of what's happening in the church is very helpful. Her examples of thriving mainline churches are all of the progressive, mission oriented bent - not surprising at all, but by omission suggests that the family oriented church is somehow deficient (a fairly common view, one I wrestle with) - but I've grown to appreciate that the mission in family size churches happens by the amazing involvement of church members in the wider community; it just doesn't have the parish name attached to it. So, I wish she's explored that dynamic a bit more.

The now somewhat-dated exploration of neo-mainline churches moving forward on pilgrimage out of irrelevance into both ancient practices and modern engagement was a good and helpful read. Many great first-hand expressions of mid-range church expressions that matter both personally and corporately. Could well be a very helpful congregational study book, although some cross-border translation may be necessary for this to work in Canada, as the US-focused study bleeds Blue-Red polemics all over the page, perhaps overly so.

A very interesting study in response to the myth that mailine churches are in decline, and are eclipsed by evangelical mega-churches. Bass's research reveals that MANY churches are flourishing, and they are doing so without resorting to mimicking the mega-church evangelical style. It is a refreshing expose' of how mainline churches ar engaged in thoughtful, reflective, discerning worship and ministry. Worth a read for anyone who is interested in seeing the Christian picture in America from more than one perspective and media hype.