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 RESTLESS GODS: The Renaissance of Religion in Canada
by Reginald W. Bibby,
Stoddart Publishing Co: Toronto, ON. 2002. 224 pages. Hardcover. $21.95
US
$32.00 Cdn. ISBN #0-7737-3338-8.
Softcover now available.
Reviewed by: Wayne A. Holst
In Reviewed for Missiology, Journal of the American Society of Missiology,
Dayton, OH. Paul Hertig, Book Review Editor. April 13th, 2002.
For more than a quarter century Reginald Bibby, a sociologist at the University
of Lethbridge, has been surveying Canadians about life as they are living
it. Since 1975, his assessments have been carried out, with growing refinement,
every five years or so. He has carefully monitored our social trends generally
and our religious trends, specifically.
Bibby's first bestseller, Fragmented Gods (1987) told the story of
a widespread decline of engagement in organized religion beginning in the
1950s. Cultural conditions were turning Canadians into highly selective,
cafeteria styled religious consumers. In 1993, Bibby published an update,
Unknown Gods. Here he described how Canadian religious organizations were
complicit in the participation dropoff.
Now, Restless Gods appears; drawing on all of the authors previous
work but charting a new course. Included here are results of new surveys
which make the data current to the year 2000.
What Bibby heralds is nothing short of a religious and spiritual renaissance
in Canada. Something is indeed stirring within the nations long established
Christian communities, both Catholic and Protestant. Sometimes this is
taking place internally but often it is happening beyond the churches.
The gods are extremely restless, says Bibby and so are peoples souls (4).
During the 1990s, an important development occurred; the decline
in the proportion of Mainliners attending services weekly stopped, remaining
steady at around 15%. There are fewer people in the mainline population
pool than in the past, but those who are still there are showing signs
of new life (75).
Speaking to the matter of restlessness on the part of the gods and of the
people the author challenges a number of commonly held religious myths
that have functioned as serious obstacles to effective ministry. It has
been assumed for some time that many have been leaving the traditional
denominations and taking up residence in newer ones. It is also widely
believed that the dropout from the older churches is for good, or that
there is no longer a receptivity to the Gospel in this highly secularized
society.
The author explains why Canadians have, in fact, been very reluctant to
abandon the churches; even though most mainstream denominations have been
experiencing attendance decline. We err, he tells us, when we conclude
that inactivity implies rejection. Many dropouts would return if they discovered
there was something worth coming home to (47).
What seems most intriguing about peoples restlessness is that its sources
appear to lie not only in the pursuit of answers to important questions
about life and death. The restlessness also comes from the widespread but
infrequently acknowledged fact that many believe they are actually experiencing
the presence of God in their lives. The gods have been trying to reach
Canadians through the churches. But given that the churches have had mixed
success in the enterprise, there are signs that the gods have taken things
into their own hands and shown up in person. Claims that people are personally
experiencing God and privately communicating with God can be found
all over the place. Apparently, the Spirit is not waiting for the churches
to catch on (90-1).
We are creatures that need meaning in our lives, and if we cant build a
faith into our lives we seem to fall into despair. We have underestimated
the staying power of the Christian Church and its message, including its
potential to reinvent itself.
If religious groups would concentrate less on those who switch and drop
out and more on those who still identify but are inactive they would be
in a position to target the very people to whom they have the best chance
of ministering - those that already identify with them (49).
Congregations need to develop creative strategies for finding inactive
affiliates, exploring their interests and needs and responding with ministries
which speak to their aspirations.
The surviving groups with potential to thrive again are those that have
been around a long time and continue to have a solid, though reduced, base
of support. No adequate substitute for Christianity has emerged to provide
Canadian society with new philosophical underpinnings (233).
Bibby ends with a word of caution. While significant numbers of inactives
who still consider themselves connected have not been reached by Canada's
traditionally dominant religious groups there are no guarantees we will
seize the day. But if we in the mainstream churches don't respond, large
numbers may be left spiritually hungry (240).
____________
Reviewers Bio: Rev. Dr. Wayne A. Holst is a writer who has taught religion
and culture at the University of Calgary.
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RESTLESS CHURCHES: How Canada's Churches Can Contribute to the Emerging
Religious Renaissance by Reginald W. Bibby. Novalis/St. Paul University,
2004. 206pp
Reports of the imminent death of Canada's churches may be greatly
exaggerated, says University of Lethbridge sociology professor Reginald
Bibby.
His latest book, Restless Churches: How Canada's Churches Can Contribute to
the Emerging Religious Renaissance, is a distillation of decades of his own and
other survey research into Canadian attitudes toward religion and
spirituality.
Prof. Bibby says Canada's media generally believes the country is tending
toward a much more secular society. This leads most reporters to take the
position that they are describing dying enterprises whenever they write about
church affairs.
Bibby writes that conventional wisdom discounts Canadian census data that
shows far more people identifying themselves with churches than are represented
by the numbers showing up on parish rolls. In general, this means that
Statistics Canada census data about church affiliation is viewed as useless.
Sadly, he says, church leaders often accept this perception."
"Such a dismissal of religious self-identification is extremely poor science
and horrible pastoral practice," he says. "If people say they are 'Anglicans' or
'Unitarian' or 'Catholic,' then that's how they see themselves."
"Reaching out to inactive members or "affiliates" is probably the best way to
strengthen Canadian churches," Bibby says. His studies show that even when
people report that they no longer participate actively in church life, they
still value what he calls rites of passage. Inactive affiliates often want to be
married in church, to have their children baptized and, ultimately, to be buried
following a church funeral.
Only about 20 per cent of Canadians report that they "never" attend church
services, a number that has changed little since the 1970s. What has happened is
that there has been a significant decline in weekly and monthly church
attendance.
Unlike most academics, Bibby makes no bones about his faith.
"I believe in God", he says, "and have known the presence of God in my own
life for about as long as I can remember."
He believes that what he describes as the Emerging Religious Renaissance is a
message from God telling us that people do want to be involved in the Church and
for the church to get on with the task of evangelization.
Unusual among studies of Canadian society, Restless Churches includes more
than data analysis and interpretation. The final chapters ("Getting on with it!
Where to start" and "Getting on with it! Where to finish") and his conclusion
can give church leaders a series of practical approaches to reclaiming today's
missing members.
For Catholics and for other mainstream denominations, Bibby sees an important
role for the laity in reconnecting with our missing affiliates. Since he can
demonstrate that people tend to identify with the churches of their youth, Bibby
believes that keeping youth active is a simple way of preventing them from
dropping out.
"There is no mystery," he says. "We need to grow our own children from their
earliest years so they value the idea of Christian faith--it's
indispensable."
Restless Churches is a worthwhile book for anyone with an interest in the
future of Christianity in Canada. As we are called to spread the Good News we
might as well have the benefit of good data.
Bibby concludes: "I'm audacious enough to think that Someone will be
pleased."
Chuck Bishop is with Diocese of Kamloops News
COPYRIGHT 2004 Catholic New Times, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
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Abstract (Summary) - Bibby sets out a new challenge for Canadian believers
Restless Gods came as a surprise. Its findings were based on data from
a number of new national surveys leading up to the year 2000. They contradicted
some, but not all, of what [Reginald W. Bibby] had been saying for a quarter
century. The author described the makings of a spiritual and religious
renaissance that offered hope, especially for Canada's historic churches.
While Restless Gods was descriptive, Restless Churches is prescriptive.
The latter, a practical guide based on learnings from the former, is a
distillation of Bibby's seasoned understandings. What he presents now,
he says, has "extremely important implications for what religious
groups -- committed to effective ministry to Canadians -- need to be doing."
Veteran sociologist speaks as an active Christian in latest book
RESTLESS GODS: THE RENAISSANCE OF RELIGION IN CANADA
By Reginald W. Bibby
Novalis/Saint Paul University: Toronto, ON. 2004. 286 pages, papercover.
$24.95
RESTLESS CHURCHES: HOW CANADA'S CHRISTIANS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE EMERGING
RELIGIOUS RENAISSANCE
By Reginald W. Bibby
Novalis/Saint Paul University: Toronto, ON. 2004. 206 pages, papercover.
$22.95
Reviewed by Wayne A. Holst.
Appearing in the Edmonton Journal, Edmonton, AB. January 29th, 2005.
Three years ago, University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby signalled
a significant change taking place in Canadian religious life with a book
entitled Restless Gods: The Renaissance of Religion in Canada. For more
than a quarter century, Bibby had been surveying the religious attitudes
and practices of Canadians. Every five years or so, he would produce a
book lending scientific verification to what many were already sensing
intuitively.
Canadians seemed to be losing interest in religion and dropping out of
their churches. They were no longer adhering to ancestral ways but were
becoming more exacting and selective in their worship practices. These
changes were evidenced, for example, in declining, formal old-line church
memberships and the growing popularity of experience-centred groups, as
well as new-age philosophies.
Bibby predicted that if such trends continued, demise was only a matter
of time for the venerable United, Anglican, Presbyterian and Lutheran denominations.
Restless Gods came as a surprise. Its findings were based on data from
a number of new national surveys leading up to the year 2000. They contradicted
some, but not all, of what Bibby had been saying for a quarter century.
The author described the makings of a spiritual and religious renaissance
that offered hope, especially for Canada's historic churches.
After much reflection on years of statistics as well as feedback from his
lectures and talks, Bibby concluded that we have underestimated the staying
power of the Christian Church and its message in Canada. We have failed
to consider the potential of the Church to re-invent.
As people begin to cast about for new spiritual moorings in uncertain times,
newly discovered or long-ignored congregations re- appeared on some religious
radar screens. No adequate substitute for Christianity has emerged to provide
Canadian society with new philosophical underpinnings. On the whole, Canadians
have proven to be very resistent to new religious expressions.
Bibby found that to be true in all parts of the country, including Quebec.
There, a massive exodus from the Catholic Church took place in the '60s
and '70s. People may have largely ignored or rejected the spiritual package
they inherited, but they were still open to consider the gift inside.
Bibby believes that a vast pool of un-churched but profoundly spiritual
people wait out there to be discovered, welcomed and engaged.
When he wrote Restless Gods, however, Bibby saw no clear signs that thechurches
would recognize these opportunities and seize the day. Now, several years
later, he believes some have awakened from slumber and want to respond
creatively.
While Restless Gods was descriptive, Restless Churches is prescriptive.
The latter, a practical guide based on learnings from the former, is a
distillation of Bibby's seasoned understandings. What he presents now,
he says, has "extremely important implications for what religious
groups -- committed to effective ministry to Canadians -- need to be doing."
Bibby is no longer content to be the objective social scientist. At this
stage of his career, he also wants to participate. Restless Churches goes
beyond the analytical skills of a gifted veteran sociologist of religion.
"More than 20,000 adults and teenagers have participated in 10 national
surveys dating back to 1975," he says."(They) have contributed
much to what we currently know about religion in Canada."
They can also help the churches shape new, inclusive strategies in response
to expressed needs.
"Those of you who are familiar with my work," Bibby continues,
"will find this book to be theistically uninhibited. I myself am a
theist. I believe in God and have known the presence of God in my own life
for as long as I can remember ... I see no reason to hold back on reflecting
with you (my readers) most of whom likewise are believers."
Bibby is not naive about the challenges involved in changing traditionally
entrenched, defensive organizations into flexible, inviting ones. He considers
religious institutions to be a bane and a blessing that can inhibit and
help people to find spiritual fulfilment. But institutions are also necessary,
he believes, to facilitate and sustain any long-term transformation in
people and society.
Restless Churches is written for those who believe in God and are action-oriented.
The author writes in his introduction: "If institutional change is
going to take place, people obviously have to go beyond merely hearing
some interesting survey findings. They need to -- and typically want to
-- know what it all means for ministry."
The challenge of encouraging Canadians to integrate church and faith, Bibby
says, demands a made-in-Canada response. The challenges are here and so
are the solutions.
Much of the book is based on the premise that, outside their doors, churches
have many "affiliates" -- Bibby does not call them "lost"
or "unbelievers" -- who are open to a more active faith. They
await good reasons to make a move.
Bibby works from certain premises, based on solid research principles.
He says, for example, that particular churches and denominations should
affirm their own traditions and not attempt to be all things to all people.
He suggests that affiliates follow the lines of a denominational affinity
most natural to them and that the various churches should co-operate to
help them find their true religious home.
Going public with one's faith should be encouraged in a free- market exchange
of ideas and a multicultural and multi-religious environment. Churches
will need to invest more heavily in lay initiatives and in new forms of
lay ministry. Healthy church models should be named and followed. Virtually
any church anywhere can share in effective ministry to affiliates.
Bibby concludes by reaffirming that he believes God is today doing some
intriguing things in Canada, inside and beyond the churches. Rather than
focusing on one particular master program or another, the author suggests
that groups of concerned Christians in different settings seek to discern
the working of God's Spirit among them.They need to find particular ways
of working effectively with that Spirit where they are.
The spiritual renaissance we are currently experiencing in this land can
be effectively addressed by those who care about congregations. A serious
study, discussion and application of these books will help many to benefit
from the author's lifelong efforts as a seasoned religious analyst and
now, as a personally engaged pragmatist.
Wayne A. Holst helps to facilitate adult spriritual development at St.
David's United Church, Calgary. He teaches religion and culture at the
University of Calgary. |
RESTLESS GODS AND RESTLESS CHURCHES - A Study of Religious Renaissance
in Canada - Based on the Books by Reginald Bibby
| Session |
Theme |
Book (chapters) |
Pages |
| A Study Outline - Restless Gods RG, Restless Churches RC |
|
| One |
Intros & Expectations |
|
|
| Two |
The Old Story |
RG/1&2 |
1-54 |
| Three |
The New Story |
RG/3-5 |
55-164 |
| Four |
What People Want |
RG/6-end |
165-254 |
| Five |
Getting Facts Straight |
RC/intro-2 |
1-51 |
| Six |
Four Implications |
RC/3-5 |
53-142 |
| Seven |
Getting On With It! |
RC/6-end |
143-182 |
Session One:
Goals of this Study -
1. To focus on the social dimension (context) of faith in Canada today.
2. To assess Bibby's claim of a religious renaissance in our land.
3. To critique his "made in Canada" solution compared to other contexts.
4. To engage in mutual respect for all those participating in this study.
Expectations of the Leader -
1. I assume participants have completed the assigned readings.
2. I will outline what I consider the key points in these readings.
3. The group will take over the discussion and I will facilitate.
_____
Session Two
The Old Story - Critiquing the secularization theses of the 1960's - 90's
1. Peter Berger outlines his secularization thesis for us in his books:
"The Noise of Solem Assemblies" "The Sacred Canopy"
"Rumor of Angels"
2. Secularization implies a loss of the need for transcendent meaning.
Impact of industrialization, specialization, individualism, relativism,
consumerism/consumption, selectivity - all this leads cumulatively to a
"loss of religious memory"
3. From his studies of more than three decades, Bibby believes that counter
to those advocating the ultimate demise of religion "the need for
faith has been constant, but the 'supply side' has varied and there is
a measurable increase in public desire for transcendent meaning - much
of it outside of organized religion (e.g. new age, humanitarian causes,
public social justice concerns, etc.)
_____
Session Three
The New Story - Current findings do not back up inevitable decline theory
1. Is this wishful thinking cloaked in sociological jargon, or a reality
that has been missed by many other social scientists?
2. Is Canadian mainline Christianity really in decline with evangelical and new age groups filling the spiritual vacuum?
3. Three myths are challenged by Bibby who believes:
a. Mainline church loyalty continues to exist
b. Many mainliners are 'not unchurched' just 'not attending'
c. 'Inactive' does not mean 'uninterested', just 'unengaged'
Does this thesis hold up to what group participants believe to be true?
_____
Session Four
What Do People Want? Meaningful God; Sense of Self; Concern for Society
1. People still desire that their spiritual and personal needs are addressed
by religious faith.
2. People continue to seek relational opportunities and core values in
spite of - perhaps because of - the realities of secularization
3. People want spiritual leaders who understand these dynamics in society;
in their personal lives; who will help them deal with their needs/concerns.
Bibby believes an exciting new story is gradually unfolding. Wise men from
the past - like Comte, Durkheim, Marx, Freud, Doug Hall, Harvey Cox and
others - have misread the direction that secularization has led us. Hall
and Cox have come to revisit and revision the secular thesis in their later
writings.
Canadian journalists are still largely stuck in the old story, with only
a few waking up to what is really happening out there.
When people say they have "no religion" what does that really
mean? Do they have no spiritual needs and desires? no faith? no interest
in finding institutional support for these values?
Bibby thinks not. He reads authors like Tom Harpur and Donna Sinclair who
distinguish between "reason" and "experience" when
it comes to faith. They see the "spirit of God" overwhelmingly
alive and well, but not that well understood in traditional ways by the
churches.
Harpur fears the churches may be beyond hope.
Bibby believes that the long-term survival of the traditional denominations
may indeed be questionable, but that institutional change for them is not
beyond the realm of possibility.
_____
Session Five
Getting the Facts Straight - About Restless Churches
Bibby's longterm studies suggest the following theses:
1. Most people are not dropping out - religious identification lasts much
longer than formal involvement ever does.
2. Most people are not really switching denominations in Canada. People
have moved from their original churches, but not from faith. Many may go
to other churches, or no churches, but still consider
themselves part of the first, formative faith in their lives.
Note the statistical evidence to back this up. Compare what has happened
during the past 30 years - National statistics: 1971 (% of pop.) 2001 (%
of pop.) Roman Catholic 42 43 Mainline Protestant 41 20 (32) Evangelical
Protestant 8 8 (unchanged since 1871) Other Faiths 2 6 Christianity is
still the dominant Canadian faith and we remain decidedly a Catholic and
Protestant nation. Greater inclusivity is developing in terms of how people
define themselves. Many call themselves simply "Christian" and
do not attach a denominational label to that description. The old mainline
is becoming more diverse (socially, culturally, theologically.) Most of
those who do not claim to be mainline Christians today (1971 - 41% 2001
- 20%) have not joined other churches even if some mainliners may attend
other churches (i.e. the seeming exodus to megachurches, etc.)
3. This is a special moment of opportunity for the mainline churches. Unlike
the past when they reflected mainstream culture, especially in english-speaking
Canada, they will need to learn to live and witness to their Christianity
in a new context of pluralism, diversity and multiculturalism.
What does the mainline have going for it?
- basic spiritual needs don't change
- life is difficult for many people (health, economics,
family)
- many still seek meaningful relationships and community
4. Will mainline churches seize the day in terms of changes in the ways
they minister? Can they re-define themselves to reachout and to welcome
people who make the effort to visit them? We have a great opportunity hidden
in this challenge and all we can do to better "tend to our own gardens."
_____
Session Six
Four Implications for Ministry
1. The need to rediscover God. God has not disappeared; we have just had
a problem discovering where God might be at work in our day. People need
to discover God for themselves and not by following the dictates of others.
2. The need to understand and utilize religious identification The majority
of Canadians still identify with denominations even if the denominations
have lost the defining value they once had; we are not truly "post-denominational;"
but "denomination" means something new today. In the past, it
had a lot to do with ethnicity and old-country religion. Today it has more
to do with self-definition (not a definition others have given to you)
and affiliation "with people you are at home."
3. It's all about ministry. The core of our problem is inadequate ministry
for the task. God, is what people seek, not the churches (consumerism applies
to religion too). We need leaders who can understand these developments
and "market" themselves and their congregations in response to
what people are seeking, not what the institution may have previously taught
them to do in the past.
4. It cannot be done alone. By ourselves, our reach is limited. If the
hoped-for renaissance is to occur, it must happen along 'group-lines.'
Like-minded Christians need to find one another; accessing and joining
with those who share a common purpose.
Five Ministry Challenges:
1. Spirituality. Spiritual interest in society is pervasive.
2. Personal/relational needs. People seek community. Religious groups are
well-positioned to provide it for them.
3. The young lead the way. They seek "authenticity" and have no "baggage."
4. Worship and Music. Music provides an essential source of meaning for
people. Celtic, Taize, traditional, modern - all forms can be creatively
blended and celebrated.
5. Organizational credibility. We have been shaken by the sex abuse and
homosexual challenges of the past two decades. But people are resiliant
and we need to know when it is important to "bend" and when to
"draw lines in the sand." Church divisions are often of less
consequence over time.
Clarifying the Response:
1. What needs to be done? Affiliates are persons who were once part of
a denominational community. Give high priority to ministry to those already
affiliated with us. We need to locate them and discover what their spiritual
journey requires. We need to go beyond talk and actually minister to them.
2. Why it needs to be done? Affiliates are the most immediate and effective
contacts we have. Other Christians do not have the "affiliate advantage"
the mainline has. There is receptivity when initiatives are taken.
3. Who can do it? Any committed member of a mainline Christian community.
Think through this with affiliates at a place where they are. Build bridges
with them. Work ecumenically on this. Work from an existing church base,
outward.
4. Who will do it? Everyone. Healthy churches are evangelizing churches.
Ministry terms differ, but ministries share a lot in common: Protestant
focus: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism. Roman Catholic
focus: liturgy, community, formation, mission, evangelization.
_____
Session Seven
Getting On With It!
Where to start - Conversation, needs assessment, evaluation of resources.
Ministries of reconnection, collaboration and co-operation
Where to finish - After finding and speaking with affiliates... assess
learnings. Assess learnings since affiliates must impact our ministry or
else our ministry will not impact affiliates... "It's time to talk
to people and find out their needs..."
Summary Learnings
1. If we are going to minister effectively with affiliates, we will have
to expand, even change our views of what ministry is all about.
2. The "Sunday morning group" is not the same as the "affiliate
group" existing out there.
3. "Adjust" - don't scrap what you are already doing. Rethink,
but be ready to retain existing ministries through blending and diversification.
4. Be open to adding new ministries to your existing church team; be ready
to "refer people" to other churches if needed. Focus on interconnection,
rather than competition, between churches. If we are ready and will to
make some changes and to try some new things, who knows what God has in
store for our congregation! |
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