The Mainline in Late Modernity

Reviews / Votes

Maren Freudenberg's The Mainline in Late Modernity is exactly the book that scholars of Mainline Protestantism have been waiting for: a case study of a denomination that has weathered the decline sparked by the Long 1960s and made it to the twenty-first century. In Freudenberg's able hands, the story of how some Evangelical Lutheran congregations are attempting to not just survive but thrive in the new millennium is told for the first time. In doing so, Freudenberg challenges readers to contemplate anew Mainline decline and the future of denominationalism in the United States. -- Jason S. Lantzer, Butler University The Mainline in Late Modernity presents intriguing findings suggesting that Mainline Protestantism is undergoing a significant shift in values and practices as it seeks to minister to a society shaped by pluralization, subjectivity, and individualization. Freudenberg fleshes out her provocative thesis with an engaging study of mainline Lutherans and how they are trying to strike a truce between their confessional heritage and a new 'pietism' that stresses experiential worship and lay participation. This book should be required reading for all those seeking to understand the changing terrain of American Christianity. -- Richard Cimino, coauthor of Atheist Awakening: Secular Activism and Community in America Maren Freudenberg offers an incisive investigation of the greatly altered terrain of American religious life in the early twenty-first century. A decrease in cultural support for organized religion, the rise of individualized forms of piety and religious practice, and a marked decreased in the value placed on tradition have all taken their toll on 'Mainline' congregations while giving birth to other movements like the Emerging Church. Yet, as Freudenberg convincingly argues, there are profound assets within established religious traditions if leaders-both clergy and lay-are willing to adapt them to changing times. Her argument and evidence give hope not simply to established churches, but to all Christian leaders interested in nurturing a revival of authentic Christian faith in the coming decades. -- David J. Lose, senior pastor of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, MN) and past president of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia