Religion Briefs : Sociologist Criticizes Influence of ‘Radical Individualism’
Sociologist Robert N. Bellah says modern culture’s emphasis on self-reliance and “radical individualism” undermines basic Christian belief in mutual community responsibility.
Bellah of the University of California at Berkeley told professors from the nation’s Episcopal seminaries the test of good preaching should not be what “feels good” to people but “what is good.”
Citing Gallup poll findings that 80% of Americans believe they should develop their own religious beliefs independently of church, he said that if “we go to the church of our choice, we do the choosing, not God choosing us.”
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