Ross Douthat, a columnist for the New York Times, has written a provocative book about the state of religion in America. Bad Religion: How We Became A Nation of Heretics sets out the history of faith in American, the changes that have occurred in understanding and practice in the last 50 years and the inevitable results of these changes in American life. His premise is that the problem with America in the first half of the Twenty-first Century is not a lack of religion at all--it's too much bad religion.
We'll take the book chapter by chapter, asking volunteers to comment on each installment and opening up discussion in the combox. At the end of Chapter 4, Chapter, and on completing the book, we will meet for a potluck dinner and face-to-face discussion.
The book is available at any retail outlet and used copies can be had through alibis.com. There is also an e-book version for those of you techno-savvy folks.
This really is a great book and well worth your time. Please join us in our virtual book club! If you want to be on the mailing list for new posts, please send an e-mail to toadehall@me.com and put book blog in the subject line (let us know whether you are also willing to be a volunteer blogger--the Team can walk you through the process--it isn't hard!). You can also follow the blog and get updates that way. Just click on the "subscribe by e-mail" link at the bottom of the blog.
Hope to see you in the combox soon! The more the merrier....
