July 31, 2008
USA Today Reports on Gynocentrism As The Standard American Congregation
Anthony Bradley
[Times photo: Brian Cassella]
From USA Today 7/23/08:
Churches nationwide are fretting and sweating to reel men into their sanctuaries on Sundays. Women outnumber men in attendance in every major Christian denomination, and they are 20% to 25% more likely to attend worship at least weekly.Although every soul matters, many pastors say they need to power up on reaching men if the next generation of believers, the children, will find the way to faith. So hundreds of churches are going for a "guy church" vibe, programming for a stereotypical man's man.
"I hear about it everywhere I go," says Brandon O'Brien, who detailed the evolution of the chest-thumping evangelism trend this spring in Christianity Today.
This is such a broken record now for many of us who are aware of the crisis. I'm not even going to really comment because I've been talking about this here now for YEARS and, strangely, I get the same push back "what do you mean? I don't see that? Do you expect churches to be some macho, jock sports club, blah, blah." Other Christians and non-Christians, Protestants and Catholics, are looking at the churches in America and asking, "why don't many men attend them?" (esp. men ages 18-30). Many Conservative evangelicals (especially Reformed ones it seems) are still mostly asleep at the switch on this one. And it's so bad that most men are like, "huh, there's a problem?"
Don't ask me to explain or elaborate but AGAIN, here are the books: The Feminization of the Church, by Kaye AsheThe Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity, by Leon Podles. Why Men Hate Going to Church, by David Murrow. How Women Help Men Find God, David Murrow.
As Podles reminds us about most men's confused masculinity in the church:
Because Christianity is now seen as a part of the sphere of life proper to women rather than to men, it sometimes attracts men whose masculinity is somewhat doubtful. By this I do not men homosexuals [but] rather religion is seen as a safe field, a refuge from the challenges of life, and therefore attracts men who are fearful of making the break with the secure world of childhood dominated my women. These are men who have problems following the path of masculine development. . . Podles, The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity, pg. xiv.)
Hey Anthony,
Do you have the link to that USA Today article? Sounds like an interesting read, and I know some people I'd like to read it..
Thanks!
Doug
Posted by: Dooge at July 31, 2008 9:44 AMdoug, links are highlighted in yellow on this blog. The link for this story reads, "From USA Today 7/23/08"
It's right before I block quote from the story.
Have your friends read the books (esp. Podles and Murrow). It's weird but this crisis is still news to people even though a woman most recently recently re-blew the trumpet back in 1995 (Leanne Payne's book, Crisis In Masculinity).
Posted by: Anthony at July 31, 2008 9:47 AMNice photo of Paula White there.
What if churches are over-feminized because of their approach to politics, or lack thereof.
When Christianity is seen as a set of responsibilities and challenges with an ethic as peculiar and grueling as the Marine Corps' perhaps then men will become engaged.
If Christianity is always just, "Come to Jesus, be healed, be good..." men will never have the opportunity to act like men.
This is not to say that my church does not have problems, but I am thankful that all of the deacons and elders are men, and that it is required for it to be that way.
Posted by: Judy at July 31, 2008 10:40 AMThere was some discussion of this on Al Mohler's radio show a couple weeks back. He interviewed Eric Redmond, who had some pretty intense stuff to say.
http://albertmohler.com/radio_show.php?cdate=2008-07-14
Posted by: tusc0n raider at July 31, 2008 3:46 PMI wonder if this is only a US phenomenon or if it is a global problem?
Posted by: Juan Callejas at August 2, 2008 9:22 PMInteresting that she 'needs' a video monitor to know what the audience is seeing. I wonder what that is all about.
Do you have access to those on any of your speaking gigs? Do you actually use it or ignore it?