海角大神

A year ago, Tammy Rose never imagined she鈥檇 be active again in church, holding a palm branch with a community of 海角大神s marking the beginning of Holy Week.

For nearly two decades, in fact, she had more or less abandoned the faith, disillusioned by what she saw as a constant focus on conservative social issues and pressing needs for more donations.

But if politics helped drive her away, it is politics that, in some ways, is drawing her back to the fold. And on this sunny Sunday morning at Greenpoint Reformed Church, not too far from the Brooklyn artists collective where she lives, Ms. Rose is beaming as she joins the responsive call to prayer:

鈥淲ho are we?鈥� intones the Rev. Jennifer Aull, the congregation鈥檚 minister for community service. Responding, the congregation says together: 鈥淲e are young and old, gay and straight and in between. We are single and partnered, happy and sad, confused and inspired. We are street smart and college-educated. Some of us can鈥檛 pay our bills and others have more than enough to share.... We are God鈥檚 people. We are the body of Christ.鈥�

Like a number of progressive congregations across the country, Greenpoint Reformed has seen both a surge in attendance and a newfound energy within its pews over the past year. Since the rise of Donald Trump to the US presidency, in fact, liberal enclaves have reported something of an awakening.

Hundreds of churches have joined the 鈥渟anctuary鈥� movement to protest the administration's immigration policies since the election, and thousands have begun donating more money to religious groups supporting social justice issues, many report. At liberal seminaries like Union Theological in New York, students and community members have packed into public lectures on the 鈥渟ocial gospel,鈥� standing-room-only crowds that have left administrators stunned.

The call to worship on this Palm Sunday embodied some of the reasons Rose decided to return to church last year. 鈥淲hen I visited for the first time last Easter Sunday, I was like, oh my God, these are my people!鈥� she says, noting she had been drawn by the rainbow flag and Black Lives Matter banner draping Greenpoint Reformed鈥檚 front facade. 鈥淚 suddenly felt comfortable in this gang of聽 鈥� how can I put it? Everyone鈥檚 a little quirky. I was really happy that there was a place where that diversity could be celebrated.鈥�

Yet the congregation also offered something a bit more intangible, says Rose, a playwright and artist with a day job in Manhattan鈥檚 tech industry. Already part of a community of politically-active artists, she is a regular presence at street protests.

But here in a community sharing prayer concerns together, or celebrating a gay couple鈥檚 renewal of their marriage vows, or including children coloring their Easter eggs 鈥� 鈥淚 come here and I just feel replenished,鈥� she says.

Revival of 'social gospel'

The current 鈥淭rump bump鈥� now energizing many progressive congregations, however, may only be a blip on what has been a decades-long decline of liberal 海角大神ity and some of the mainline Protestant denominations that have carried its torch since the early 20th century, many scholars caution.

鈥淭he social gospel has found its biggest moment of relevance since the Reagan years,鈥� says Brett Grainger, professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University near Philadelphia. 鈥淭he energy is feeding directly off the current administration's proposed budget cuts, which target the most vulnerable members of society, and its policies on immigration, which rub against the belief that 鈥榣ove of the stranger鈥� is central to 海角大神 teaching.鈥�

鈥淏ut if there is a revival, it's most likely to be temporary, in that it thrives on its antagonism to Trump,鈥� Professor Grainger continues.

Liberal 海角大神ity and mainline Protestantism have been contracting for decades, in fact, losing millions of members and the cultural influence it once was able to wield. Mainline Protestant churches, including those in Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Methodist denominations, have lost roughly 5 million adult members since 2007, and now comprise about 15 percent of the US population, according to Pew Research.

Formed in the 鈥渕odernist鈥� controversies of the 1920s, liberal 海角大神ity began to 鈥渄emythologize鈥� certain teachings like the virgin birth, the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth, and the literal meaning of Scripture. In response, conservatives emphasized the traditional 鈥渇undamentals鈥� of 海角大神 doctrine, which eventually gave rise to the term 鈥渇undamentalism.鈥�

At the same time, many liberal congregations began to emphasize the 鈥渟ocial gospel,鈥� which focuses on Jesus鈥� ministry to the outcast and poor and the call to 海角大神 service. Indeed, 海角大神 congregations on the left were major players in the Civil Rights movement and the rise of the 鈥渟anctuary churches鈥� movement that supported Central American refugees in the 1980s. Many were also part of the spread of 鈥渓iberation theology,鈥� first preached by Central American Catholics in the 1960s, who proclaimed that God primarily identifies with the oppressed and marginalized.

鈥淐hurches that are channeling this new anti-Trump energy into justice and caregiving issues, they鈥檙e not leaving their understanding of the 海角大神 gospel behind,鈥� says Bill Leonard, professor of Baptist studies and church history at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. 鈥淭hey are saying: This is who we are, we have a history of this, and we can鈥檛 be silent.鈥�

A 'Trump bump'?

Rev. Ann Kansfield, the minister of proclamation at Greenpoint Reformed, isn鈥檛 sure how much the congregation鈥檚 recent surge can be attributed to a 鈥淭rump bump.鈥� More people voted for Bernie Sanders in Greenpoint, after all, than any other area of New York City in the Democratic primary last year, and Reverend Kansfield noticed a simmering political energy going back to 2015. 聽 聽

Up to then, the church had plateaued with about 35 adult members. On Sunday, there were more than 60, including children. 鈥淲e were already established as the progressive church in the neighborhood,鈥� she says, noting that LGBT inclusion and its soup kitchen and food pantry were its primary ministries. 鈥淏ut with this new energy, we鈥檝e been doing some deciding over who we are and what we do, and what following Jesus should look like in our context.鈥�

After many members were abuzz following the Women鈥檚 March on Washington in January, the congregation put together a social justice task force. Kansfield has been making contacts with consortiums of faith groups mobilizing for progressive causes.

鈥淏ut this is a marathon, not a sprint,鈥� says Kansfield, who is also one of the chaplains serving the Fire Department of New York. 鈥淚t would be really easy for us to tire ourselves out with all our spreading and fretting. But how do we actually invest our energy and time and resources to where it will strategically matter?鈥�

Attending church is most effective when it is the 鈥渟piritual engine that drives the rest of the week,鈥� she says, 鈥渢he way we鈥檙e going to recharge and refuel for the rest of the week. And that isn鈥檛 going to be ginormous, but church and the spiritual practices that we share together can provide sustainable, ongoing energy that鈥檒l keep you capable of the work of the long game.鈥�

Search for spiritual resources

Sustaining the current spike in attendance at liberal churches may be difficult, however, given the long-term trend of decline, scholars say.

鈥淚f we do in fact see an uptick in attendance, it will reflect the fact that liberal 海角大神s are searching for spiritual resources to speak to the sense of despair they feel about the current political direction of the country,鈥� says Grainger. 鈥淲hat organized religion offers is not only that broader network of support but also the theological reassurance that, even if things aren't going well in the short term, in the longer arc of history, God is in control.鈥�

Yet with the religious landscape in the US still in the midst of seismic changes, including the decline of church attendance and the rise of the so-called 鈥渘ones,鈥� those who do not affiliate with a religious tradition, a liberal de-emphasis of traditional doctrines and a focus on a social gospel might be attractive.

Professor Leonard at Wake Forest notes that many liberal churches have already developed outreach programs to engage 鈥渘ones鈥� in public theology discussions, home study groups, and dinner conversation groups. 鈥淭hese endeavors are drawing many individuals back to church, or to church for the first time,鈥� he says.

For her part, Rose says she wants to become more involved in Greenpoint鈥檚 ministries.

鈥淚 usually just go the Sunday services now,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 thinking more and more about volunteering in the soup kitchen every week. I don鈥檛 want to come here just to participate in the family I鈥檝e found. Now I want to give back to the family.鈥�