Vanishing Boundaries (Paperback)

~ (Author), Donald A. Luidens (Contributor), Benton Johnson (Contributor) "For mainline Protestantism, the 1950s appear to have been a heyday of church growth..." (more)
Key Phrases: Baby Boomers, Marcia Wilson, Ann Brooks (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Based on a survey of some 500 respondents and 40 in-depth interviews, this work examines the religious motivation of baby boomers. The authors, who are sociology professors belonging to different denominations, are most interested in the causes for the decline in mainline Protestant church membership since the Sixties. The survey is based on a nationwide selection of persons confirmed in Presbyterian churches who were between 33 and 42 years old in 1989. Four "churched" and four "unchurched" types are identified, and both representative interviews and statistical analysis provided. The authors present some new theories about membership decline and spotlight what people of this generation want in a church. A fascinating and potentially useful study; recommended for public and academic libraries.
- C. Robert Nixon, MLS, Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Smylie sets out to "provide a brief, accessible, celebrative but not uncritical presentation of Presbyterian faith and life." The result will certainly be of interest to Presbyterians, who, in their 1977 "Declaration of Faith," affirm that they are "charged to remember" their past, "to be warned and encouraged by it, but not to live it again." Smylie devotes the beginning of the book to Presbyterian roots in the early Christian church and in Europe before turning to a narrative that is particularly concerned with Presbyterianism in the U.S. The result is a brief and accessible orientation for Presbyterians, more celebrative than critical, but certainly useful for those who wish both to know their roots and to enlarge the circle of "we" by examining the family tree of which Presbyterianism is a single branch. Steve Schroeder

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Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press; 1st edition (January 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664254926
• ISBN-13: 978-0664254926
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #486,900 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)