Reorganized Religion
The Reshaping of the American Church and Why It Matters
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Narrated by:
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AW Miller
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By:
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Bob Smietana
About this listen
Uncover the ways the Christian church has changed in recent years—from the decline of the mainline denominations to the mega-churchification of American culture—and a hopeful reimagining of what the church might look like going forward.
The United States is in the middle of an unprecedented spiritual, technological, demographic, political and social transformation—moving from an older, mostly white, mostly Protestant, religion-friendly society to a younger diverse, multiethnic, pluralistic culture, where no one faith group will have the advantage. At the same time, millions of Americans are abandoning organized religion altogether in favor of disorganized disbelief.
Reorganized Religion is an in-depth and critical look at why people are leaving American churches and what we lose as a society as it continues. But it also accepts the dismantling of what has come before and try to help readers reinvent the path forward. This book looks at the future of organized religion in America and outline the options facing churches and other faith groups. Will they retreat? Will they become irrelevant? Or will they find a new path forward?
Written by veteran religion reporter Bob Smietana, Reorganized Religion is a journalistic look at the state of the American church and its future. It draws on polling data, interviews with experts, and reporting on how faith communities old and new are coping with the changing religious landscape, along with personal stories about how faith is lived in everyday life. It also profiles faith communities and leaders who are finding interesting ways to reimagine what church might look like in the future and discuss various ways we can reinvent this organization so it survives and thrives. The book also reflects the hope that perhaps people of faith can learn to become, if not friends with the larger culture, then at least better neighbors.
“A superb examination of the future of Christian institutions…. A must-read for anyone invested in the fate of the American church.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
©2022 Bob Smietana (P)2022 Worthy BooksListeners also enjoyed...
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- The Jesus People Movement in America
- By: Larry Eskridge
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 14 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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The Jesus People movement was a unique combination of the hippie counterculture and evangelical Christianity. It first appeared in the famed "Summer of Love" of 1967, in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, and spread like wildfire in Southern California and beyond, to cities like Seattle, Atlanta, and Milwaukee. In 1971 the growing movement found its way into the national media spotlight and gained momentum, attracting a huge new following among evangelical church youth.
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Very good book, marred by narration
- By Dru Lattin on 11-04-15
By: Larry Eskridge
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American Grace
- How Religion Divides and Unites Us
- By: Robert D. Putnam, David E. Campbell
- Narrated by: Dan John Miller
- Length: 18 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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American Grace takes its findings from two of the largest, most comprehensive surveys ever conducted on religion and public life in America, plus in-depth studies of diverse congregations---among them a megachurch, a Mormon congregation, a Catholic parish, a reform Jewish synagogue, and an African American congregation.
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Interesting Analysis
- By Daniel on 10-08-12
By: Robert D. Putnam, and others
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Overrated
- Are We More in Love with the Idea of Changing the World Than Actually Changing the World?
- By: Eugene Cho
- Narrated by: Eugene Cho
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Many people today talk about justice, but are they living justly? They want to change the world, but are they being changed themselves? Eugene Cho has a confession: "I like to talk about changing the world but I don't really like to do what it takes." If this is true of the man who founded the One Day's Wages global antipoverty movement, then what must it take to act on one's ideals? Cho does not doubt the sincerity of those who want to change the world.
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OK memoir but the message was regurgitated from other sources
- By Laura M. on 03-28-16
By: Eugene Cho
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Why Men Hate Going to Church
- By: David Murrow
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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David Murrow's groundbreaking new book reveals why men are the world's largest unreached people group. With eye-opening research and a persuasive grasp on the facts, Murrow explains the problem and offers hope and encouragement to women, pastors, and men. Why Men Hate Going to Church does not call men back to the church - it calls the church back to men.
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An honest view of church from a man's perspective
- By G on 02-05-12
By: David Murrow
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Sticky Teams
- Keeping Your Leadership Team and Staff on the Same Page
- By: Larry Osborne
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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In this unabridged audio download of Sticky Teams, Larry Osborne exposes the hidden roadblocks that often sabotage the health and harmony of even the best intentioned ministry teams. Then, with practical and seasoned advice, he shows what it takes to get a leadership board, ministry team, and an entire congregation headed in the same direction.
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Leadership GOLD
- By Steve Jones on 02-09-24
By: Larry Osborne
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Road to Jonestown
- Jim Jones and Peoples Temple
- By: Jeff Guinn
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially mixed, and he was a leader in the early civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California, where he got involved in electoral politics and became a prominent Bay Area leader. But underneath the surface lurked a terrible darkness.
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An Important Accurate Historical Report
- By Julia on 08-24-17
By: Jeff Guinn
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Reclaiming Hope
- By: Michael Wear
- Narrated by: Stu Gray
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Before he had turned 21, Michael Wear found himself deep inside the halls of power in the Obama administration as one of the youngest-ever White House staffers. Appointed by the president in 2008 to the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and later directing faith outreach for the president's 2012 reelection campaign, Wear threw himself wholeheartedly into transforming hope into change, experiencing firsthand the highs and lows of working as a Christian in government.
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Part memoir, part political theology
- By Adam Shields on 03-23-17
By: Michael Wear
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Acts of Faith
- The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation
- By: Eboo Patel
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Acts of Faith is a remarkable account of growing up Muslim in America and coming to believe in religious pluralism, from one of the most prominent faith leaders in the United States. Eboo Patel's story is a hopeful and moving testament to the power and passion of young people - and of the world-changing potential of an interfaith youth movement.
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Waited three years for this audiobook
- By Eva on 08-29-13
By: Eboo Patel
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Growing an Engaged Church
- How to Stop "Doing Church" and Start Being the Church Again
- By: Albert L. Winseman
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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In this compelling and insightful book, Al Winseman - who has led thriving churches, including one he built from the ground up - explores how churches and parishes can dramatically increase members' participation, service to the community, giving, and even life satisfaction. But the solutions Winseman offers are not the "magic pill" many leaders have come to expect. Rather, he shows leaders how to reach and inspire the hearts, minds, and imaginations of their people.
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Do All Lives Matter?
- The Issue We Can No Longer Ignore and Solutions We Long For
- By: Wayne Gordon, John M. Perkins
- Narrated by: Calvin Robinson
- Length: 2 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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The belief that all lives matter is at the heart of our founding documents - but we must admit that this conviction has never truly reflected reality in America. Movements such as Black Lives Matter have arisen in response to recent displays of violence and mistreatment, and some of us defensively answer back, "All lives matter". But do they? Really? This audiobook is an exploration of that question.
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Enlightening
- By karleen on 06-26-20
By: Wayne Gordon, and others
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Dream with Me
- Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win
- By: John M. Perkins, Randy Alcorn - foreword
- Narrated by: Calvin Robinson
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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A trailblazer in the civil rights movement, John M. Perkins led voter registration efforts in 1964, worked for school desegregation in 1967, and was jailed and tortured in 1970. He is no less zealous today as he sees a new generation of freedom fighters battling the same issues and the same systems he has spent his life working to correct.
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Thoughts from a Christian elder
- By Adam Shields on 03-02-17
By: John M. Perkins, and others
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The Big Sort
- Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart
- By: Bill Bishop, Robert G. Cushing
- Narrated by: Paul Brion
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2004, journalist Bill Bishop coined the term "the big sort". Armed with startling new demographic data, he made national news in a series of articles showing how Americans have been sorting themselves into alarmingly homogeneous communities - not by region or by state but by city and even neighborhood. Over the past three decades, we have been choosing the neighborhoods (and churches and news shows) compatible with our lifestyles and beliefs.
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Build the Wall?
- By Amazon Customer on 01-23-19
By: Bill Bishop, and others
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Church: Why Bother?
- By: Philip Yancey
- Narrated by: Maurice England
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Insights from Philip Yancey's personal pilgrimage away from and back to the church. Why are there so many more professing Christians than churchgoing Christians? Is it because something is wrong with the church? In his candid, thought-provoking manner, award-winning author Philip Yancey reveals the reasons behind his own journey back from skepticism to wholehearted participation in the church, and weighs the church's human failings against its compelling worth as the body of Christ.
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Indeed, Why Bother with Church?
- By David on 07-10-17
By: Philip Yancey
What listeners say about Reorganized Religion
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Tammo
- 02-12-23
A must read for anyone who believes that the mission of the church still matters
An eye-opening appeal to those enlisted in the fight for the future and possibilities of the Kingdom of God and the Beloved Community.
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- Robert Hall
- 09-03-22
Hard hitting honesty coupled with hopeful optimism
Fascinating look at religion in America, exploring both the issues facing organized religion as a whole, as well as impact of these issues on life in local congregations. The author is honest about the challenges while expressing optimism that things can change. Highly recommend this selection.
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- Cyndi L.
- 02-01-23
Great insight and perspective
This book provides a balanced and well informed perspective on church culture today. I appreciated that the author talked about many of the challenges facing the church today as well as offering thoughts on what will need to change in order for our churches to change, grow and, most of all, to love others well.
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- G Moss
- 12-11-23
Timely. Insightful. Inspiring
I have wrestled with my feelings on organized religion for years. The author’s stories & perspective were helpful.
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- Herbert Gibson
- 02-07-23
Interesting
I feel as if he does a great job presenting the facts and even how churches should try to grow but he frequently appears to let his own bias on doctrine influence his ideas.
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- Carolyn Tod
- 09-07-24
Excellent
Informative and well researched and written. The author gave a well rounded perspective and invoked a sense of urgency.
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