Bad Religion

How We Became a Nation of Heretics

By: Ross Douthat

Narrated by: Lloyd James

Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

As the youngest-ever op-ed columnist for the New York Times and the author of the critically acclaimed books Privilege and Grand New Party, Ross Douthat has emerged as one of the most provocative and influential voices of his generation. Now he offers a masterful and hard-hitting account of how American Christianity has gone off the rails - and why it threatens to take American society with it.

In a story that moves from the 1950s to the age of Obama, Douthat brilliantly charts traditional Christianity's decline from a vigorous, mainstream, and bipartisan faith - which acted as a "vital center" and the moral force behind the Civil Rights movement - through the culture wars of the 1960s and 1970s and down to the polarizing debates of the present day. He argues that Christianity's place in American life has increasingly been taken over, not by atheism, but by heresy: debased versions of Christian faith that breed hubris, greed, and self-absorption.

Ranging from Glenn Beck to Eat Pray Love, Joel Osteen to The Da Vinci Code, Oprah Winfrey to Sarah Palin, Douthat explores how the prosperity gospel's mantra of "pray and grow rich", a cult of self-esteem that reduces God to a life coach, and the warring political religions of left and right have crippled the country's ability to confront our most pressing challenges and accelerated American decline. His urgent call for a revival of traditional Christianity is sure to generate controversy, and it will be vital listening for all those concerned about the imperiled American future.

©2012 Ross Douthat (P)2012 Tantor

Food for thought

Would you try another book from Ross Douthat and/or Lloyd James?

Lloyd James is a compelling narrator as he seems to understand the material and reads the more academic sections in understandable prose. He is by far my favourite non-fiction narrator.

I think that Mr Douthat gives huge food for thought, especially to a non-American trying to understand the political landscape. Although, I do not necessarily agree with all his conclusions he certainly made me think about how I view the institutional Catholic Church, the Pentecostal movement as it is working itself through Africa and the new religion of "self". I would have liked more systematic theological depth as I thought that this could have strengthened some of his arguments. I also would have liked him to make more connections between the history of Church development in the US with the political situation now. However this is my particular bias as Church history in general and the historical development of systematic theology is a bit of a passion.

All in all a compelling "read" and I will definitely be following his views throughout the election period. Not necessarily in agreement but as an interesting point of clarification for my own thoughts.

I wanted to like this! But it was just too dull.

I love non-fiction books about faith, and our Bible study group has had some recent discussions about heresy -- so I thought I'd really love this book. The knowledge and information is outstanding, however the book reads like a very stuffy thesis paper (using words like "thus" and "henceforth" in the narrative). I consider myself to be an above average reader/listener with regard to reading level, but I just couldn't stick with it. I only got a few chapters in. I would've loved it had it been written for a casual Christian reader, but from what I heard, it's more for high-level seminary classes.

Informative and challenging

Douthat spares no church in discussing heresy in the modern church. He stands between political lines and denominational lines and rips apart a the accommodations made (and still being made) by churches who find relevancy to culture more important than orthodox faith. I'm a better informed Christian and observer of cultural patterns (modern and much older) because of listening.

Broad Stroke Analysis

In Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics, Ross Gregory Douthat provocatively addresses the drift of Christian faith experienced in the US during the recent past. He links this drift to the current economic, policy, and political malaise effecting the populace. The slow-motion decline of traditional faith and the rise of pseudo-Christian thinking is described and analyzed. One could argue details of Douthat’s arguments, but overall he makes a rather disturbing case for what has transpired. The thought provoking book is generally depressing. The tenor turns upbeat (or perhaps I should say hopeful) in the final sections where he proposes how Christian faith may be turned back to its roots. For my tastes, Douthat reveals his political biases in a number of places. However, Christians of all stripes would do well to at least give Douthat a hearing. The reading of Lloyd James is excellent.

Loved it

Challenging, inspiring, and so informative. Ross Douthat seemed really balanced and tried to give you the information and the results so you could make decisions.

insightful, informative, and inspiring

One of the most insightful, informative, and and inspiring books I've ever read.

This book takes great pains to avoid name calling and to be fiercely objective, and that enables the reader to carefully discern true heresies and religious trends. Having context for the religious state of America was not only fascinating, but also practical in discerning orthodoxy in the church.

Furthermore, while I do not agree with the author on everything, his approach and passion for Christianity helped be to accept his critiques and admonitions in my own walk and understanding.

The end is C. S. Lewis-esque and inspires tremendous anticipation in the future even while battling heresies. I never thought a book like this would impact me so profoundly; I highly recommend it.

Shocking

This book was shockingly good. The author has put his finger on precisely what the modern history of the church has been, and its problems. Those interested in a orthodox understanding of modern church history should read this book.

Profound book

Thorough and cohesive review of the history of Christianity in modern America. Tremendous insights for all faith traditions on why they lost their congregations. For Catholics, the fruits of the accomodationist impulse coupled with the sexual abuse scandal are compelling proof of the need for a return to apolitical orthodoxy.

Very well-written and thought-provoking

Ross Douthat’s “Bad Religion” is, in my opinion, an excellent book. I am certainly not a conservative Catholic like Douthat is (and I’m not especially a fan of his more puritanical ideas regarding sexuality). However, among today’s conservative writers, Douthat stands out as a nuanced and complex thinker, whose writings are clearly driven by a love of history and tradition rather than a hatred of liberalism. Although I don’t like all of Douthat’s conclusions in “Bad Religion”, I respect the depth of his reasoning and his highbrow and interesting approach. I highly recommend this book.

Balanced, open minded, yet pointed.

In this phenomenal book Douthat speaks about the necessity of the older branches of Christianity, especially the Orthodox variants and the tradition they've upheld in the western world until very recently. He makes the case that certain heresies have worked their way into the fabric of modern American Christian life, which are whittling away at the soul of faith in this country. Be it "the Church of the God within" taught by Oprah-types, or "The cult of Mammon" evangelized by prosperity Gospel preachers, or American nationalistic worship preached by the Michelle Bachman's and Glenn Beck's of America, Douthat makes the case that the fundamentals of Christianity shared between Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, evangelicals, and mainline Protestants are being undermined by these more radically heretical and short-sighted strains of vaguely Christian belief.

It is one part a book to raise awareness of these heresies and how they undermine the Orthodox establishment which has helped sustain Christianity it's two millennia long history, one part a book on the history of the relationship between Orthodoxy and heresy in the Christian faith particularly in America, and one part a book on ways we might reconcile the faults within Orthodoxy which gave rise to these heresies and how they have been reconciled in the past.

Well read it is a compelling listen for all interested in the topic whether of an Orthodox persuasion, some brand of protestant, more heretical brand Christianity, or even an atheist/non-Christian.