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

Pretty good book

Ended on a good note. Author has a great understanding of chronological 20th century. Can be a bit dry and exclusive at times but stick with it.

still crazy

Would you consider the audio edition of Bad Religion to be better than the print version?

yes, this is the same reader who read the coming of the third reich. I liked that his voice gave legitimacy to the idea that the new religion is poison.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I appreciated that the positive thinking nonsense has been outed as more religion of the blamed. "Suffering is your own fault"

A Great Story Falls Flat

Ross Douthat's thesis of Bad Religion is brilliant: The problem with America is not the evil doers, but religious leaders' unwillingness to stay true to God's calling (my paraphrase). However, the story fell flat for me when he called Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a "serial adulterer" while not using the active voice to criticize one single Southern Minister for not speaking on behalf of the Civil Rights Movement during a time when Jim Crow had a death-grip on African Americans. He extols The Reverend Billy Graham as the greatest evangelist that the United States has seen; however, if the book is supposed to be as "hard hitting" as the sales information says, he should have been evenhanded with Graham as he was with King, by demonstrating that Graham had to defend himself at times for remarks that were considered ant-Semitic. Plus there is no record that Graham ever stood up for the rights of blacks in the 1940s through the 1960s, and instead of making this assertion, Douthat uses the passive voice by saying "Southern ministers" did not do a very good job in condemning the national climate of hatred against blacks.

A critic could probably argue that Dr. King's alleged affairs are significant to his work as a man of God; however, those same critics, if they will be fair, will give an evenhanded account of the challenges that were faced by Billy Graham, including charges of anti-
Semitism and his refusal to speak out against racial injustice at a time when he was perhaps the most celebrated evangelist in the Country.

If you're indifferent to an author offending the legacy of a national hero, who has received the highest honor that any country can bestow upon a citizen - naming a national holiday in recognition of his birth, then there is probably a lot to be learned in Bad Religion. I felt betrayed as a reader with an insatiable appetite for the printed/spoken word, who happens to be a great admirer of Dr. King's courageous work as a civil rights leader that the author would affix a near blasphemous accusation upon him and disregard the allegations of anti-Semitism against Billy Graham. In fact, I would urge those who believe in Liberty and Justice for all to write the publisher, Free Press, and demand that the next printing of Bad Religion either remove the reference about King being a "serial adulterer," or add that Graham had to defend himself against claims of anti-Semitic statements during the Nixon Administration, plus add in the active voice that Graham never condemned the United States for its treatment of blacks during the Civil Rights Era.

Insightful and thought provoking!

This is one of those books that was hard to stop listening to. I had started listening to audiobooks when I started running out of time to just sit and read. This book, on the other hand, had me stoping just to listen to it. In particular his insights into how the "mainstream" Protestent and Catholic churches crippled themselves by moving away from their respective core values were thought provoking. I am a Catholic who joined the Church as a late middle age adult. Personally I am aware of some of what he talks about in the Protestent churches but have not seen much of it in the Catholic churches. Nevertheless this is well worth looking at and listening too!!

Thoughtful and thought provoking

Douthat has made an in-depth study of America’s religious history and how politics has infected it. A revealing read. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in our America. Religious roots and to those who want to take the time to examine their own position on religion, orthodoxy and politics. This is a serious book, not light reading. Good job Douthat, well done!

Bad Religious Politics

I feel like it was more a historic look at how our bad religion has messed up our politics. I really appreciated the historical perspective but don’t think he offered a full look at how the church has messed up. No analysis of seeker sensitive churches. A very brief look at people like Rob Bell. He quotes scripture very rarely, and when he does it’s a very archaic translation. A good perspective, but not what I expected or wanted.

Good review for a good book

I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about the changes in emphasis in theology and american religion in the 20th and 21st centuries. Ross offers a dissection of the many facets of watered down theology in recent years. I particularly like his coining of the term accommodationist to explain the growing number of Christians who in spite of the scriptures, doctrine, natural law, reason, etc, make accommodations for sinful behavior.

I wish Ross would have talked some about the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and how they've been mostly forgotten or downplayed. I also wish Ross would have wrote a chapter on the church fathers and how similar the heresies they faced were to the heresies we face today. It goes to show that none of the theological problems we face today are new.

Excellent survey of the history of modern Christianity

I found Ross’ historical journey through the ups and down of the faith very informative. I appreciate how much work went into collecting and studying all of the great theologians and Christian personalities. I also enjoyed his somewhat comical critic of our “attempts” to be like God or create purpose in our lives. I don’t think there was a story here which is why I gave 3stars and at times it felt like a history lesson more than an argument for the future. Overall I liked his argument against solipsism and how it’s shaped us into a “therapy culture.” We are not God and can never be.

Bad religion—bad book

I should’ve known because I find the author annoying generally, but I was unimpressed. His premise answers none of the pressing questions for a modern Christian. By failing to state a position on the lives of gay Christian—but implying that there’s no way they can live and live authentically, all else falls flat.

His read on the prosperity gospel is excellent—but overall, not worth my time.

dreadfully dull

What would have made Bad Religion better?

The author seems committed to not making any point- Only stating things that are obvious as if some greater point is coming up. I Got three hours into the book and I still can't tell you what the book is about- He just keeps talking about how there are many churches in the nation and there are more now than there used to be and they have different points of view and different levels of influence- which is obvious.

What could Ross Douthat have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I bought this book thinking it was about the atheist perspective of the negative influences of theocracy in American politics- well, the author is a catholic and the book is apparently not about anything- at all! I don't think I am a dummy- I read this genre all the time- even though he said it was not what I thought I still tried really hard to give this book a chance- I think the author is afraid to say what he thinks on such a fragile subject so he says nothing- He just quickly jumps from one subject to another with no rhyme or reason or wit or moral- it's just written on autopilot with any kind of opinion or point carefully edited out.