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Ross Gregory Douthat

Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics Hardcover – April 17, 2012

by Ross Douthat (Author)

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[ Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics BY Douthat, Ross ( Author ) ] Hardcover 2012

Print length

337 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Free Press
Publication date

April 17, 2012
Dimensions

6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1439178305
ISBN-13

978-1439178300
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Not only is Ross Douthat’s account of orthodox Christianity’s decline provocative, but his critique of today’s ascendant heresies is compelling. This volume is a sustained proof of Chesterton’s thesis that when people turn from God, 'they don’t believe in nothing—they believe in anything.' Everyone who is interested in why the church is faring as it is in U.S. culture today needs to get this book."
—Timothy Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City

"Bad Religion is superb: sharply critical of the amazing variety of American religious pathologies, but fair; blunt in diagnosis, but just; telling a dark tale, but telling it hopefully. For those trying to understand the last half-century or more of American religion, and to strive for a better future, it is an indispensable book."
—Alan Jacobs, author of The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis

"Ross Douthat's thoughtful, articulate, wide-ranging, sometimes contrarian and always provocative new book asks a tough question: Why has Christianity been so misunderstood, and so misused, in the past few decades? From those who (foolishly) watered down the most basic Christian beliefs, to those who (falsely) promised worldly success to the followers of Jesus, the values of orthodoxy (literally, "right belief") have often been blithely set aside. With an impressive command of both history and contemporary social trends, Douthat shows not only how we ended up with a Christianity of our own making, but also how we can reclaim an adherence to the teachings of the real Jesus—not just the convenient one."
—James Martin, SJ, author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything

"Bad Religion is nothing short of prophetic. In a time of religious, political, and cultural upheaval, Ross Douthat tells the American faithful—liberals, conservatives, and everybody in between—not what we want to hear, but what we desperately need to hear. With this provocative and challenging work that no thoughtful Christian can afford to ignore, Douthat assures his place in the first rank of his generation's public intellectuals."
—Rod Dreher, author of Crunchy Cons and senior editor of The American Conservative

"A brilliantly reasoned argument for orthodox Christianity and the need for vibrant faith in society. In this perceptive and timely work, Ross Douthat extolls the ‘vital center’ of belief while calling out the fashionable heretics among us. This is one ‘Bad Religion’ we can all believe in."
—Raymond Arroyo, New York Times bestselling author, host of EWTN's The World Over Live

"Mr. Douthat offers a lively, convincing argument for what kind of religion we need." Author: Mark Oppenheimer Source: New York Times

"Bad Religion" is an important book. It brings a probing, perceptive analysis to bear on the tragic hollowing out of American Christianity. In Douthat, readers have a guide who explains how we ended up drinking at a narcissistic trough draped in spirituality that doesn't quench anybody's deepest thirst...." Author: G. Jeffrey MacDonald Source: Christian Science Monitor

About the Author

Ross Douthat is a columnist for The New York Times op-ed page. He is the author of To Change the Church, Privilege, and Grand New Party. Before joining The New York Times, he was a senior editor for The Atlantic. He is the film critic for National Review, and he has appeared regularly on television, including Charlie Rose, PBS NewsHour, and Real Time with Bill Maher.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Free Press; 56684th edition (April 17, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1439178305
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1439178300
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.19 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #576,172 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #567 in Christian Systematic Theology (Books)
- #582 in Sociology & Religion
- #3,398 in U.S. Political Science

Customer Reviews:
393 ratings

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CCGlazier

This will help anyone understand not only what to avoid but what to reinforce and how to continue.

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2020

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My wife and I have included other books in our morning devotional for decades. From C.S. Lewis' 'Mere Christianity' and 'Screwtape Letters', Brian McLaren's 'New Kind of Christianity', Andy Stanley's 'Irresistible' or Chamber's 'My Utmost..." we read and discuss them along with whatever Scripture passages. We finished this one this morning.

I highly recommend this to any believer interested in the history of modern American Christianity, and anyone trying to navigate the weirdness, dysfunction, and downright error that dogs the steps of the American church. Thorough and researched, without being tedious, incisive and direct without rancor, it will help anyone understand not only what to avoid but what to reinforce and how to continue.

I hope at least a couple of my reader friends will pick this one up and give it their time and attention. Well worth it.

6 people found this helpful

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Sam Woodward

Douthat’s religion is well thought out, but flounders badly

Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2019

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Douthat is firmly anchored in 1950s social standards as the arbiter of Christian orthodoxy, with an enest desire that the Catholic Church reclaim Vatican I teachings. All else is to him heresy, or, at best, heterodox “accommodation” (his favorite word) to changing social values that corrupts the orthodox faith. The primary value of this book is its encyclopedic accounting of Christian writers, theologians, and doctrinal statements from about 1900 to the present day. At his worst, he picks out fringe voices and asserts they authoritatively speak for entire denominations. Utter foolishness. The footnotes are a treasure trove, and that’s worth the price.

10 people found this helpful

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Christopher (o.d.c.)

Heresy is easy. Orthodoxy is hard.

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2015

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Bad Religion is a well-written and well-organized tour of American Christianity from its post-war heights to its post-millennial doldrums. Part one describes "a kind of Indian summer for orthodox belief":

"... During this era the Protestant Mainline enjoyed a kind of twilight glow. The years of the Niebuhrs and neo-orthodoxy were the last years that Presbyterians and United Methodists and Episcopalians and Lutherans would see a sustained growth in membership, the last era during which Mainline churches conducted serious missionary efforts overseas, the last period when leadership seemed to care as much about evangelization as about political activism."

Then came.. the accomodationists, Protestant and Catholic, clerical and lay, who wanted to bring Christianity up to date, and in the process threw out nearly everything. Douthat is very telling about what these reformers wrought (although I should point out, that he is never as caustic about heresy as Chesterton, let alone Belloc):

"...In their quest to be inclusive and tolerant and up-to-date, the accommodationists imitated his scandalously comprehensive love, while ignoring his scandalously comprehensive judgments. They used his friendship with prostitutes as an excuse to ignore his explicit condemnations of fornication and divorce. They turned his disdain for the religious authorities of his day and his fondness for tax collectors and Roman soldiers into a thin excuse for privileging the secular realm over the sacred. [...]

Given the climate of the 1960s and ’70s, these choices were understandable. But the more the accommodationists emptied Christianity of anything that might offend the sensibilities of a changing country, the more they lost any sense that what they were engaged in really mattered, or was really, truly true. In the process, they burned their candle at both ends, losing their more dogmatic parishioners to more fervent congregations and their doubters to the lure of sleeping in on Sundays."

In part two, Douthat covers the modern heresies, "Pray and get rich," "The God Within," and the two strains of Christian Nationalism, Messianic and pessimistic in very breezy chapters with a knack for getting to the heart of the matter:

"... Therapeutic theology raises expectations, and it raises self-regard. It isn’t surprising that people taught to be constantly enamored of their own godlike qualities would have difficulty forging relationships with ordinary human beings. (Two Supreme Selves do not necessarily a happy marriage make.) Learning to love ourselves and love the universe isn’t necessarily the best way to learn to love our neighbor as ourselves, it turns out, and an overemphasis on the essential unity of all things—the Creator and creation, God and man, Yahweh and Elizabeth Gilbert—may be a good way to dissolve more intermediate loyalties completely."

Too rich to summarize, easy to quote from, Bad Religion is pessimistic but never despairing, polite but never misty-eyed. A timely restatement of some long-standing truths.

35 people found this helpful

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Kyle Walden

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2017

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Douthat's courageous and eloquent take on defending Christian orthodoxy in America helped me to reconsider the moral heritage of our country and culture. His academic understanding of Christian orthodoxy and heresy, as well as in-depth knowledge of the history, culture, and theology, whetted my own understanding of Christianity in the last 50 years in America (or as far back as Christ himself).

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for an accessible history of Christianity in America that also helps to frame liberal, conservative, progressive, and fundamental religious trends. His critiques of current religious trends are thoughtful and well-supported, and his pessimism is tempered by an enduring hope in the power of orthodox Christianity and what he considers its imminent revival as a means of infusing meaning and social support back into society.

The first part is detailed history of American history along the paradigm of orthodoxy and heresy, describing the golden era of the 1950s for American Christianity and articulating the movements and errors that led to a marginalization and overpoliticization of American liberal and conservative Protestantism and Catholicism. The second part then details several heretical offshoots of Christianity that holds popular religious trends accountable to orthodox standards and American values.

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Much to recommend it

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2019

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Often thought-provoking, sometimes overblown or circular in logic, Douthat is able to highlight where and why Americans have shelved the transcendent truth of God and Jesus in exchange for a relativism which reveals itself ultimately in the “self as God or part of God” that justifies ignoring or denying that (Christian) truth. His arguments are least effective when trying to criticize nationalism and politics as idols (they certainly can be), but his logic borders on circular when he acknowledges that Christians must bring to bear the truth of Christian in the public arena. He redeems this, however, with his discussion on how to elevate such bring to bear above political parties. Overall, much to recommend it, but don’t accept all of it “as gospel” (pun intended)

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Barry Kearney

Excellent analysis of US Christianity

Reviewed in Australia on September 12, 2019

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I’m Australian and was intrigued to read this excellent analysis of USA Christianity. Australian Christianity is in a much worse state, but the same issues apply, only more. I particularly liked the comment about the Christian churches focussing on their opposition to gay marriage and gay sex, but ignoring the proliferation of extra marital heterosexual activity, adultery and divorce.

Mr. Daniel J. Merceron

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2015

Verified Purchase

Excellent book

2 people found this helpful

Don Leblanc

would recommend to any serious reader

Reviewed in Canada on August 31, 2014

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Unbelievable but to the point
.... worldwide problem today!...
would recommend to any serious reader

Sverre Svendsen

A pessimistic view from an orthodox perspective

Reviewed in Canada on September 23, 2012

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There is no doubt about it: controversial titles help to sell books. Being a free thinking person with a serious interest in religions and spirituality I couldn’t resist getting this book. From the outset I wondered “where is he coming from, passing judgment on the populace having become heretical?” Is Douthat just one more finger-pointing fundamentalist relegating those of incongruous beliefs to the sin bin of doctrinal deviance? Going through his book we become acquainted with numerous “deviant” individuals and organizations. What is missing is a compendium at the beginning of the book of exactly what comprises “good religion.” Due to that deficiency, Douthat is free to cruise through the historical terrain taking pot shots in every direction at whomever and whatever strikes him as being associated with “bad religion.”

There are at least three ways to critique this book: 1. Is it well written, factual and informative? Other than being biased and opinionated, yes it probably passes the muster for those criteria. The author attempts to include a lot of aspects and influences of religious activity, especially since the 1950s, so it is difficult to collectively assess. He chooses to overlook the bad elements of religion which existed in the 1950s. I think that many elements contributing to change were left out, many of them arose in the period 1880 to 1950, although he does include Ralph Waldo Emerson, dismissively so. He denigrates pantheistic thought but fails to examine panentheism. He pays little attention to the recent global village of pluralistic influences or the information technology evolution. I would give three stars for this aspect as provided by the author.

2. The book is clearly addressing conservative Christians but does it truly reflect their viewpoints? Mostly, I believe it does but many evangelicals will disagree with his endorsement of Catholicism as having been on the good side of the religious dynamic. He highlights several prominent Christians from the 50s and 60s but doesn’t consider that considerable conflict existed between their ideologies. I think he overstates mid-century theological and doctrinal harmony. I would give four stars for this aspect.

3. Is Douthat’s premise that Christianity reached its zenith in the 1950s, and has gradually slid into apostasy since then, a realistic one? Only if considered within the confines of the author’s (undefined) criteria. I would give two stars for this aspect since I find it unconvincing. I found the book to be entertainingly informative but hypothetically unconvincing.

A question that needs to be challenged by free thinking people is “should religion be boxed in, frozen and protected from what some perceive as disruptive, non-conforming, progressive influences because it has been judged by some to have already attained its ultimate maturity?” I think not. I found it presumptuous that Douthat selected a decade which he determined to exemplify Christian America’s pinnacle of good religiosity as far as it served to influence communal, mainstream society. Millions of Christians would disagree. Just consider one issue: the status of women in that time period. In the 1950s women had their place or were put in their place, mostly stuck at home and rarely entrusted with leadership in academia, business, the professions—or the church. It was a man’s world to dominate. As women became more liberated and equality was promoted, society changed and, reluctantly, also the male controlled church had to accommodate more roles for women. However, evangelical, Catholic and Mormon churches are still struggling with this issue! Is it realistic to want contemporary Christianity to revert to conditions which prevailed sixty years ago in regard to women? Absolutely not. Nor is it realistic on so many other fronts and levels to highlight 1950s’ conditions as benchmarks of excellence. To have relevance Christianity will have to grow and change. To be true to Christian ideals it must always be a work in progress. In the Middle Ages the Christian attitude towards most women was not much better than what we witness from today’s Taliban. But, fortunately, gradually Christianity has changed its attitude towards women. Is that change due to BAD RELIGION? Definitely not.

A large presumption made by most apologists for monotheistic religions is that Holy Scripture was established to last—and by implication, to be enforced—for eternity. Would that be a reflection and will of a just and loving Deity? Has society not changed for the better in five thousand years? Should not our ability to be inspired towards new revelatory truths grow with our ability to be increasingly more Christ-like? I believe so. Many have received new revelations (however they be defined) which have benefited others spiritually, mentally, financially, socially, etc. In fact, thousands of books are published every year by Christians who have felt inspired to share a different take on theology, Christology, doctrine, Bible interpretation and social issues. A few have been inspired to propose that some parts of the Bible may no longer be relevant, or not be as important as they were in former ages. They claim that some “truths” have been revealed which confirm the validity of the Bible’s timeless spiritual message but invalidate some of the outdated legalistic pronouncements which are unhelpful.

Sadly, it seems Douthat wants Christians to return to the past. Instead of his pessimistic appraisal about the present state of Christianity, we should acknowledge that progress has been and is still going to be made. Church attendance and membership may decline but the importance of belief in God, spirtuality and the Christian message prevails. We must have discernment, grow in wisdom and foster a culture of reverence, but allow room for religions to be progressive for the benefit of all mankind. Not everything new is good but labeling most new trends, thoughts and inspirations as being heretical, as the author has done, will not accomplish what most Christians surely want: growth of belief and devotion in an increasingly universal Christianity of love, compassion, grace, hope, forgiveness and salvation.

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