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24 Jul 12
joe mcgillThoughts on the suburbanization of American Christianity
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19 Jul 12
Todd SuomelaThe suburbanization of American Christianity has had a huge impact on institutional and denominational structures. Automobile-shaped development has produced an automobile-shaped ecclesiology. The car has abolished the possibility of the parish. And that, in turn, has helped to redefine “neighbor” as a matter of preference more than of proximity — as optional rather than obligatory. That redefinition is rather significant, since “Who is my neighbor?” is kind of an important question for Christians.
religion geography suburbia automobile transportation design architecture belief evangelical conservative
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The suburbanization of American Christianity has altered our theology in other fundamental ways. Consider, for example, the church-growth movement and its focus on the archetypally suburban idea of the “homogenous unit principle.” Could there be a more radical rejection of Pentecost than that?
Conforming to the suburbs produced a host of major changes in American Christianity — major breaks with the past. How is it that the churches that have raced to adopt such revolutionary innovations are routinely cast as the “conservative” faction?
The answer, I think, has little to do with theology and everything to do with politics. The suburbs have become a Republican stronghold, and thus all that is suburban has come to be viewed as “conservative.” That’s part of why the hallmarks of “conservative” churches remain political: opposition to abortion, opposition to homosexuality, etc. And that’s a big part of why these radically modern, newly suburbanized theologies came to be regarded as conservative and — even more outlandishly — as “traditional.”
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18 Jul 12
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