During this century, something decisive has happened to so-called mainline Protestantism. It was ‘disestablished’ from the preeminent cultural position it once enjoyed, but the reasons and implications of this shift are debatable. This book takes a novel, cultural approach to studying mainline denominations and suggests possibilities for a revaluation of denominations in the post-establishment era. It provides significant data on problems that must be addressed if denominations are to achieve renewed vitality. Focusing on each denomination’s religious and moral vision–the beliefs, values, symbols, and style that make a denomination distinct–this book features contributions from a variety of authors, historians, scholars, educators, anthropologists, and liturgists. Of special concern are the ways in which denominations have passed on their vision and how they have maintained plausibility under changing circumstances.
