Why Religion Went Obsolete

Abstract

This book explores the decline and obsolescence of traditional American religion, particularly among post-Boomers, attributing that to major societal shifts over time in technology, economics, culture, and beyond. It highlights the role of long-term trends in the particular American context, rather than “secularization” as an inevitable or uniform result of modernization. While traditional religion has diminished, new spiritual and occult practices have also re-emerged. It also challenges the idea of cyclical religious revivals, arguing that contemporary forces continue to accelerate religious decline. Struggling to adapt, religious institutions face no-win situations where their efforts appear insincere or outdated. Factors like higher education, evolving family dynamics, and economic changes have further eroded religion’s influence. Rather than validating received secularization theory, however, this book argues for a re-enchantment of American culture that presents complications both for religion and secularism.