Getting Religion

September 19, 2016
Woodward, the staunchly Catholic religion editor at Newsweek for 40 years, looks at the post-WWII American religious experience through his personal lens, though very little space is devoted to the 21st century. His tone sometimes reads like a slightly cranky grandpa talking about the past and complaining about “kids these days,” but he also effectively teaches 20th-century American religious history, with provocative discussions on Catholicism, the suburban migrations’ influence on religiosity, and the interplay between religion and issues of social justice such as the civil rights movement. He also has intriguing thoughts on the Catholic Church’s birth control stance, the connection between right-wing politics and fundamentalism, and how Hillary Clinton’s Methodism informs her politics, but Woodward’s Catholicism colors what he writes about other Christian denominations. Methodists are considered by Woodward to be know-it-alls; yes, many an evangelical preachers has fallen from grace, but Woodward appears a little too gleeful about it. Woodward runs out of steam before his book ends, which may explain why he fails to mention the Jewish connection to neoconservatism, and why he raises new arguments in his epilogue. Even so, his knowledge base and erudition make this an important resource.

November 1, 2016

Religion is rooted in the social world and it both changes and is changed by the surrounding culture. Veteran Newsweek religion editor Woodward draws on 40 years of reporting and scholarship to examine the decline of American religious practice. The book is framed through the lens of his Catholicism and personal experiences. Beginning in the 1950s with the country's historically highest level of religious participation, he traces the drop in affiliation to the present, when a quarter of the population claims to be nonaffiliated. He explores the impact of Vatican II, the civil rights movement, 1960s activism, Liberation Theology, feminism, self-actualization movements, the growth of evangelical churches, and the interaction of religion and politics to describe the changes. From his front-row seat at Newsweek, the author had access to influential religious and political actors. He spoke regularly with evangelist Billy Graham and interviewed Hillary Clinton in the White House about her faith. There is a touch of nostalgia and a sense of personal loss in his engaging exploration of the declining role of religion in people's lives. VERDICT Readers interested in recent social history and those concerned about decline in religious affiliation will appreciate this well-written history.--Judy Solberg, Sacramento, CA

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