John V Rutledge: 2 books

A Church Has Gone to Hell - Southern Baptists: A Denomination in a Decade of Decline analyzes more than 300 services of more than 100 Southern Baptist churches, with the objective of identifying reasons for ten years of declining membership. The author let the services themselves dictate focal...

Naive, gullible religious belief has a long and unchallenged history in America. To question biblical literalism, ministerial authority, or God’s hands-on management were unthinkable. The church theme was believe! The Bible says it, we believe it, and that settles it. So conditioned, members...