Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

May 2015 – Research shows America undergoing fundamental changes that represent opportunities and challenges for the Christian church.

A University of Virginia study reveals a shift in the “urban donut,” the pattern of thriving suburbs surrounding a decaying city center. UV’s Weldon Cooper Center Demographics Research Group found that since 1990, urban downtowns and central neighborhoods have attracted more young, educated, high-income residents.

For years, many contemporary Christian scholars have spoken to the crucial importance of cities and the need to send missionaries to urban areas.

Another study, this one from the Public Religion Research Institute, shows that “The U.S. religious landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation that is fundamentally reshaping American politics and culture,” according to Dan Cox, research director.

His statement followed release of the American Values Atlas, an online tool that compiles data concerning Americans’ opinions, identities, and values. One stand-out discovery of the 2015 Atlas was that America is no longer a majority Protestant nation. According to the study, only 45% of respondents report belonging to a Protestant denomination.

The study also showed that white Christians are now a minority group in 19 states.

jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com, 3/3/15; usatoday.com, 3/2/15