The Steeple's Shadow: On the Myths and Realities of Secularization

Over the past two hundred years the steeple's shadow has shrunk dramatically; the social influence of organized Christianity has waned. In a society which emphasizes forecasting, planning, and management, is there still room for prayer, reliance on God, and good stewardship? In "The Steeple's Shadow" David Lyon argues that there is a fundamental fault in the sociology which predicts an inevitable withering away of the Church's influence in people's lives. He surveys the debate and shows that although secularization is an interesting concept for understanding the apparent decline and isolation of churches in the West, it is misleading to assume that religion itself is dying. Lyon distinguishes between the myths and realities of the process of secularization and shows that by developing a clear picture of the social world, Christians can understand both its challenges and its opportunities, and can determine for themselves what the place of religion should be in today's world.