Department
History, Philosophy and Political Science
Location
Bethel University
Start Date
25-10-2023 4:00 PM
End Date
25-10-2023 5:00 PM
Description
Political polarization in the USA has been rapidly increasing since the 1990s. During that same time period, demographic data has shown both a growing population of religious “nones” who no longer identify with a faith tradition and a declining influence for churches and church leaders as the political identities of American Christians becomes more and more central to who they are. This presentation explores this dynamic, examining how rising polarization is impacting church life by drawing on twenty-six interviews with upper Midwest pastors that the author conducted during his 2021 sabbatical. Across denominational lines and urban, rural and suburban contexts, pastors expressed deep concern about the impact of political polarization on their churches and gave specific examples of the challenges this is creating. The interviews suggested that the particular challenges polarization created for church life varied based primarily on geographic location, not denominational difference.
Recommended Citation
Bramsen, Andrew, "The Impact of Political Polarization on Church Life in the Upper Midwest" (2023). Day of Scholarship. 26.
https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarship/fall2023/oct25/26
Included in
The Impact of Political Polarization on Church Life in the Upper Midwest
Bethel University
Political polarization in the USA has been rapidly increasing since the 1990s. During that same time period, demographic data has shown both a growing population of religious “nones” who no longer identify with a faith tradition and a declining influence for churches and church leaders as the political identities of American Christians becomes more and more central to who they are. This presentation explores this dynamic, examining how rising polarization is impacting church life by drawing on twenty-six interviews with upper Midwest pastors that the author conducted during his 2021 sabbatical. Across denominational lines and urban, rural and suburban contexts, pastors expressed deep concern about the impact of political polarization on their churches and gave specific examples of the challenges this is creating. The interviews suggested that the particular challenges polarization created for church life varied based primarily on geographic location, not denominational difference.