Gallup Book Review - The People's Religion: American Faith in the 90s
By Editorial Staff
Published December 1989
George Gallup, America’s most highly respected pollster, has recently coauthored a book with Jim Castelli, The People’s Religion: American Faith in the 90s, published this month by Macmillan. Excerpts from an interview in Christianity Today reveal some interesting trends which will significantly affect our nation in the coming decade.
“Over the last 54 years of scientific polling, religion in America has been remarkably stable, both in terms of beliefs and practices. It is interesting that as the level of education has increased in this country, religious beliefs did not decline. Karl Marx’s prediction that more education would produce a weaker attachment to religion simply has not come about.
“The central problem today is that people are not solidly grounded in their faith, and therefore vulnerable to hedonism, materialism, and new spiritual movements which glorify self. We have in our country a geographic literacy problem. We have a scientific literacy problem. But more seriously, I feel, we have a faith literacy problem. That has to be faced,” said Gallup.
“On the plus side, religion has profoundly affected our society in terms of volunteerism. We did a big study for the independent sector and found that churches give more money than foundations or businesses do. The church is the biggest supporter of the volunteer effort, in terms of manpower and money, but also in terms of energizing society.
“In the 1990s, alcohol and drug abuse has to be very high on the list of priorities for the church because it affects the family and it affects everything. And it’s a crisis situation. The sex-related issues are going to be among the most important issues facing all churches in the foreseeable future. Abortion, AIDS, premarital sex, homosexuality, all those things are going to be at the vortex of the problems confronting all churches.
“Also, you could hardly find a more basic problem in our society than youth unemployment, which is very high among minority groups and in the major cities. That problem leads to low self-esteem, which contributes to alcohol and drug abuse, which leads to crime and lawlessness. Until as a society we meet the joblessness problem head-on, we’re just storing up a lot of problems for ourselves in the ’90s and beyond.
“But these are the kinds of things that don’t have to be left up to chance. I tend to be optimistic because I think there are a lot of obvious things that churches can and will do to make a profound difference in society in the years ahead. There is nothing mysterious about it. Also, as Christians, we often forget to pray for things. But God is accessible, and will help us in our efforts, whatever they are. “
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Martin Luther: 1953 Classic (DVD)
Special 50th Anniversary edition
The dramatic classic film of Martin Luther’s life was released in theaters worldwide in the 1950s and was nominated for an Academy Award. A magnificent depiction of Luther and the forces at work in the surrounding society that resulted in his historic reforming efforts, this film traces Luther’s life from a guilt-burdened monk to his eventual break with the Roman Catholic Church.
In spite of its age, this film continues to be a popular resource to introduce Luther’s life. This historical epic captures the life and times of the greatest figure of the Protestant Reformation with depth and clarity, while giving a glimpse at the private man in the eye of the storm. Luther’s protest against the established order of the Church gave birth to one of the largest religious and cultural movements history and serves as a prime example of how one man’s conscience can change the course of human events.
Running Time: 105 minutes
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Massacre of Innocence (DVD)
Exposing The Occult Roots of Abortion
This presentation looks at the spiritual roots of abortion and exposes the myths surrounding child killing. Little known historical facts about abortion and how they relate to modern feminism are presented logically and accurately. Has been effective in converting many to a pro-life position.
Massacre of Innocence goes where no pro-life presentation has gone before in “tearing the lid off abortion” to reveal the spiritual realities we must battle if we will bring an end to this crime. The presentation is absorbing, fast-paced, informative and incredibly devastating to any attempt to justify abortion.
“… an extraordinary statement … a powerfully articulate presentation about what abortion really means, and why a great and moral nation like the United States must not allow the slaughter to continue.”
— Congressman Robert K. Dornan
Running time: 85 minutes
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The Four Keys to the Millennium
Foundations in Biblical Eschatology
By Jay Rogers, Larry Waugh, Rodney Stortz, Joseph Meiring. High quality paperback, 167 pages.
All Christians believe that their great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will one day return. Although we cannot know the exact time of His return, what exactly did Jesus mean when he spoke of the “sign of His coming” (Mat. 24)? How are we to interpret the prophecies in Isaiah regarding the time when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:19)? Should we expect a time of great tribulation or reformation and revival before the Lord returns? Is the devil bound now, and are the saints reigning with Christ? Did you know that there are four hermeneutical approaches to the book of Daniel and Revelation? These, and more questions, are dealt with by four authors as they present the four views on the millennium. Each view is then critiqued by the other three authors.
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The Beast of Revelation: Identified (DVD)
Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation?
Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry’s insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation — and even more importantly — amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview!
Historical footage and other graphics are used to illustrate the lecture Dr. Gentry presented at the 1999 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is followed by a one-hour question and answer session addressing the key concerns and objections typically raised in response to his position. This presentation also features an introduction that touches on not only the confusion and controversy surrounding this issue — but just why it may well be one of the most significant issues facing the Church today.
Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study — for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John’s famous letter “… to the seven churches which are in Asia.” (Revelation 1:4)
Running Time: 145 minutes
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Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism (DVD)
Just what is Calvinism?
Does this teaching make man a deterministic robot and God the author of sin? What about free will? If the church accepts Calvinism, won’t evangelism be stifled, perhaps even extinguished? How can we balance God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility? What are the differences between historic Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism? Why did men like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Edwards and a host of renowned Protestant evangelists embrace the teaching of predestination and election and deny free will theology?
This is the first video documentary that answers these and other related questions. Hosted by Eric Holmberg, this fascinating three-part, four-hour presentation is detailed enough so as to not gloss over the controversy. At the same time, it is broken up into ten “Sunday-school-sized” sections to make the rich content manageable and accessible for the average viewer.
Running Time: 257 minutes
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