Changes

The "mainstream" Protestant churches contracted sharply in terms of membership and influence.   

The "mainstream" Protestant churches contracted sharply in terms of membership and influence.   

The most anti-modern religious denominations (such as the Southern Baptists and Missouri Synod Lutherans) grew rapidly in numbers, spread nationwide, became politically powerful as part of the "religious right", and experienced grave internal theological battles and schisms.  Other evangelical and fundamentalist denominations also expanded rapidly, such as the Church of God, Pentacostals, holiness groups and Nazarenes. At the same time, secularism (people with no religious affiliation) grew dramatically, and the more conservative churches saw themselves battling secularism in terms of issues such as gay rights, abortion, and creationism.<ref>McLoughlin 1978, Balmer 2001</ref>

The most anti-modern religious denominations (such as the Southern Baptists and Missouri Synod Lutherans) grew rapidly in numbers, spread nationwide, became politically powerful as part of the "religious right", and experienced grave internal theological battles and schisms.  Other evangelical and fundamentalist denominations also expanded rapidly, such as the Church of God, Pentecostals, holiness groups and Nazarenes. At the same time, secularism (people with no religious affiliation) grew dramatically, and the more conservative churches saw themselves battling secularism in terms of issues such as gay rights, abortion, and creationism.<ref>McLoughlin 1978, Balmer 2001</ref>

==Interest==

==Interest==

Religion has been playing a much more active role in the nation’s public life. Though religion always had served as a powerful force in the nation’s affairs, in the past fifty years—from the charged 1960 election forward—religious people started to vote in such predictable ways that the mainstream media began to pay them serious attention. In addition, to many thoughtful—and some not so thoughtful—observers, the emergence of the Christian Right in the 1970s and the religious forces behind 9/11 seemed especially conspicuous and alarming.

Religion has been playing a much more active role in the nation’s public life. Though religion always had served as a powerful force in the nation’s affairs, in the past fifty years—from the charged 1960 election forward—religious people started to vote in such predictable ways that the mainstream media began to pay them serious attention. In addition, to many thoughtful—and some not so thoughtful—observers, the emergence of the Christian Right in the 1970s and the religious forces behind 9/11 seemed especially conspicuous and alarming.