Douthat, however, disagrees and argues that the onset of Christianity’s locust years was more complicated. In his judgment, there were five major catalysts:
•Political Polarization – Vietnam war, civil rights movement;
•Revolution in Social Mores – Birth control, promiscuity, abortion;
•Global Perspectives – People seeking spirituality without rules turned to Buddhism and Transcendental Meditation;
•Ever-growing Wealth – America’s new Gilded Age confirmed John Wesley’s observation: “Wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion;”
•Decline of establishment ties to Christian religions – Elitist institutions, newspapers, networks, universities, law schools, and major foundations dismissed Christianity as déclassé.
Douthat points out that religious bodies that fought these trends, particularly the Catholic Church, have been accused of being out of touch, authoritarian, close-minded, and responsible for turning many of their members into neurotic, repressed bigots.
On the other hand, accommodating Christian sects (i.e., mainline churches) have only hastened moral decline. For their followers, religion “has become a license for egotism and selfishness,” the result being a society “where pride becomes ‘healthy self-esteem,’ vanity becomes ‘self-improvement,’ adultery becomes ‘following your heart,’ greed and gluttony becomes ‘living the American dream.’”
The decline of traditional Christianity, Douthat concludes, has not led to surging atheism, rather it has led to the spread of Christian heresies that hold the Kingdom of God is built in this life not the hereafter.
The replacement of Christianity by one [secular] heresy or another is plausible. But I think his explanation of the decline is incomplete. Then again, he's more of a Yankee conservative than one who is rooted in a more solid intellectual tradition? In my view, the decline of Christianity is linked to the growth of the modern American state and the accompanying economic changes which lead to the loss of community. The 60s only hastened the collapse of Christianity that had been brought upon by other social changes (and its replacement by the American creed?).
Related:
Interview: Ross Douthat on Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Christian Nationalism and His Charismatic Roots
Douthat's talk for the Augustine Institute:
vimeo
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