A friend who is taking a sabbatical told me he is reading Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics by Ross Douthat as a way to “see the big picture.” So I thought I’d give it a try myself.

It was a good suggestion because the book traces the history of Christianity in post World War II America, and then shares ideas about when, where and why it came off the rails. The history part is excellent and should be mostly non-controversial. Douthat walks us through the major movements and figures, like Billy Graham, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Moral Majority, and of course the shift leftward of mainstream Protestantism. He does all of this well and even if you know the history it’s an excellent read.

Then Douthat gets into the main point of the book. As the history nears the present, he shows the shifts within various denominations and the results they created. The main premise of the book is that America is not moving toward a nation of atheists; it is instead moving toward a nation of heretics. Faith is alive and well, but what kind of faith? The prosperity faith of Joel Osteen? The nationalistic faith of Sarah Palin? The feel self esteem faith of Eat, Pray, Love? The secret society faith of The Da Vinci Code? The cult of celebrity leadership faith we see in many mega-churches?

Douthat’s critique of what he might call misguided Christianity is sure to speak to a younger generation of disillusioned believers. His call to a return to a more traditional Christianity is going to be misunderstood by some, and of course it’s all going to be controversial. But there is no doubt that he is speaking to and for a group who are fed up with polarizing religion, watered down religion, or make-believe religion.

Douthat is more or less pessimistic throughout the book, then shifts to a more upbeat tone in the last chapter. He points out that major shifts in Christianity, including completely unforeseen revival, is a hallmark of the faith’s history. He expects the same to happen again.

It’s a compelling book. It is certainly controversial (check out all the negative comments on the amazon.com reviews). But there is something powerful in Douthat’s arguments and insightful about his analysis. Definitely worth reading, especially if you are involved in Christian leadership.