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A review by pattydsf
The End of White Christian America by Robert P. Jones
3.0
“Two thousand eight was the last year on record in which Protestants as a whole—not just white Protestants—represented a majority of the country.”
“America’s still-segregated modern life is marked by three realities. First, geographic segregation has meant that—although places like Ferguson and Baltimore may seem like extreme examples—most white Americans continue to live in locales that insulate them from the obstacles facing many majority-black communities.21 Second, this legacy, compounded by social self-segregation, has led to a stark result: the overwhelming majority of white Americans don’t have a single close relationship with a person who isn’t white. Third, there are virtually no American institutions positioned to resolve these persistent problems of systemic and social segregation.”
"Today, White Christian America's faded cultural map is increasingly inaccurate. Like retirees setting out on a trip with their 1950s AAA road atlas, the graying descendants of WCA find themselves frequently pulling off the road in disbelief and frustration as they encounter new routes and cities that are not on their map. The slow death of WCA has left many with a haunting sense of dislocation."
I am a white Protestant. I belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which is not terribly evangelical as most people use that word. Since 2009, our tag line, all are welcome, has been a bit more accurate. However, overall the ELCA is a dying church and we seem to be doing little to combat that. I believe that our core belief is essential to the Christian faith. We believe that only G-d’s grace can save and that you don’t have to do anything to deserve G-d’s grace. I believe that G-d’s forgiveness and love is for everyone.
I am very grateful to Jones for publishing this book. I agree with much of what he has to say. I am sorry that the white Protestants are not doing anything to deal with the fact our churches are dying. I have been asking for a blueprint for closing churches for about five years. No one wants to admit that we will need to do that.
My only concern about this book is the lack of references to women in the church. The vast majority of members of WCA are women. They are what sustain any faith group. Jones did not mention women at all.
If you are a white Christian American of any stripe, I recommend this book to you. You may not like what Jones has to say but you need to hear it.
“America’s still-segregated modern life is marked by three realities. First, geographic segregation has meant that—although places like Ferguson and Baltimore may seem like extreme examples—most white Americans continue to live in locales that insulate them from the obstacles facing many majority-black communities.21 Second, this legacy, compounded by social self-segregation, has led to a stark result: the overwhelming majority of white Americans don’t have a single close relationship with a person who isn’t white. Third, there are virtually no American institutions positioned to resolve these persistent problems of systemic and social segregation.”
"Today, White Christian America's faded cultural map is increasingly inaccurate. Like retirees setting out on a trip with their 1950s AAA road atlas, the graying descendants of WCA find themselves frequently pulling off the road in disbelief and frustration as they encounter new routes and cities that are not on their map. The slow death of WCA has left many with a haunting sense of dislocation."
I am a white Protestant. I belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which is not terribly evangelical as most people use that word. Since 2009, our tag line, all are welcome, has been a bit more accurate. However, overall the ELCA is a dying church and we seem to be doing little to combat that. I believe that our core belief is essential to the Christian faith. We believe that only G-d’s grace can save and that you don’t have to do anything to deserve G-d’s grace. I believe that G-d’s forgiveness and love is for everyone.
I am very grateful to Jones for publishing this book. I agree with much of what he has to say. I am sorry that the white Protestants are not doing anything to deal with the fact our churches are dying. I have been asking for a blueprint for closing churches for about five years. No one wants to admit that we will need to do that.
My only concern about this book is the lack of references to women in the church. The vast majority of members of WCA are women. They are what sustain any faith group. Jones did not mention women at all.
If you are a white Christian American of any stripe, I recommend this book to you. You may not like what Jones has to say but you need to hear it.