“A brilliantly reasoned argument for orthodox Christianity and the need for vibrant faith in society . . . perceptive and timely.” —Raymond Arroyo, New York Times–bestselling author
Winner of the 2013 Christianity Today Book Award
Chosen as one of The Christian Century’s Five Notable Religion Books of 2012
As the youngest-ever op-ed columnist for The New York Times, Ross Douthat has emerged as one of the most provocative and influential voices of his generation. In Bad Religion he offers a masterful and hard-hitting account of how American Christianity has gone off the rails—and why it threatens to take American society with it.
In a world populated by “pray and grow rich” gospels and Christian cults of self-esteem, Douthat argues that America’s problem isn’t too much religion; nor is it intolerant secularism. Rather, it’s bad religion. Conservative and liberal, political and pop cultural, traditionally religious and fashionably “spiritual” —Christianity’s place in American life has increasingly been taken over, not by atheism, but by heresy: debased versions of Christian faith that stroke our egos, indulge our follies, and encourage our worst impulses.
In a brilliant and provocative story that moves from the 1950s to the age of Obama, Douthat explores how bad religion has crippled the country’s ability to confront our most pressing challenges and accelerated American decline.
“Bad Religion is an important book. It brings a probing, perceptive analysis to bear on the tragic hollowing out of American Christianity.” —G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Christian Science Monitor
“Mr. Douthat offers a lively, convincing argument for what kind of religion we need.” —Mark Oppenheimer, The New York Times
