A Culture of Faith: Evangelical Congregations in Canada

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Marc Notes: Many religious scholars have noted a decline in institutional forms of religion in Canada. With fewer Canadians regularly attending church or following denominational proscriptions, is institutionalized religion becoming a thing of the past? In 'A Culture of Faith', Sam Reimer and Michael Wilkinson argue that evangelical Protestants continue to show strong allegiance to their congregations. Through a national study, including interviews with over five hundred pastors and an analysis of financial resources, the authors argue that evangelical Protestant congregations demonstrate greater resiliency within a broader context of declining religiosity. Review Quotes: "The writing is clear and the quality of the information is high. Not just for sociologists of religion, this book is highly recommended for local church pastors and denominational leaders as well as seminary professors and their students." Gerardo Marti, author of The Deconstructed Church: Understanding Emerging ChristianityBiographical Note: Sam Reimer is professor of sociology at Crandall University and author of Evangelicals and the Continental Divide: The Conservative Protestant Subculture in Canada and the United States. Michael Wilkinson, professor of sociology and director of the Religion in Canada Institute at Trinity Western University, is the editor of Canadian Pentecostalism: Transition and Transformation. Publisher Marketing: Many religious scholars have noted a decline in institutional forms of religion in Canada. With fewer Canadians regularly attending church or following denominational proscriptions, is institutionalized religion becoming a thing of the past? In A Culture of Faith, Sam Reimer and Michael Wilkinson argue that evangelical Protestants continue to show strong allegiance to their congregations. Through a national study, including interviews with over five hundred pastors and an analysis of financial resources, the authors argue that evangelical Protestant congregations demonstrate greater resiliency within a broader context of declining religiosity. According to their findings, weekly church attendance among evangelicals is substantially higher than the national average, church attendees say they get significant enjoyment from their religious groups, youth participation is high, and evangelicals are more likely to volunteer. While there may be signs of decline on the horizon, Canadian evangelical congregations seem to remain vital at a time when most other Christian traditions are waning. A clearly presented study of evangelical beliefs, organizations, leaders, and finances, A Culture of Faith reveals the current strength of evangelical Protestantism and its implications for the future of religion in Canada.

Contributor Bio:  Reimer, Sam Atlantic Baptist UniversityContributor Bio:  Wilkinson, Michael Michael Wilkinson has forty years of experience in teaching neuroscience and neuroendocrinology to undergraduate and graduate students as a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. His research laboratory has focused on neurodevelopmental aspects of female reproduction with a specific interest in the neuroendocrine regulation of hypothalamic function, including the impact of sex hormones on sleep.