The financial dilemma that wound up helping US churches thrive
(The Conversation) — By many measures, Americans are growing less religious : Since 2007, for example, the percentage of people who pray daily has dropped, while the “unaffiliated” have grown to 29%. But those numbers can distract from just how much faith still matters in American public life – much more so than in Western Europe, despite its similar religious roots.
About two-thirds of Americans consider religion “somewhat” or “very” important , compared with 56% in Italy, 40% in Spain and 36% in Germany. While about two-thirds of American Christians pray every day , only 18% of European Christians do so.
Why such a stark divide? One reason , some scholars have argued, is the United States’ tradition of separating church and state , also called “disestablishment.” In other words, Americans’ freedom of religion helped faith to thrive in ways that the state-sponsored churches did not.
As my research into the history of philanthropy shows, disestablishment was not just a cornerstone of American democracy. It was also an engine for the extraordinary growth of philanthropy, which played an important role in fueling American churches’ growth and innovation.
Money from members…
