Vital Signs: The Promise of Mainstream Protestantism

A contemporary retelling of ten of Jesusrsquo;s parables. The second in author Michelle Van Loonrsquo;s series Parable Life FaithWalk 2005 that share the parables as told in the Bible and then retells the same parable through the stories of real life people living today. Thoughts and questions are included in each chapter to help readers connect with God while sparking dialogue with others. A powerful look at thenbsp; process of spiritual growth not as a ldquo;how tordquo; but as a ldquo;why to.rdquo;

The authors describe this book as a summary of research on American mainstream Protestantism in the twentieth century and an assessment of the significance of that research for mainstream Protestant denominations on the verge of the twenty-first century. The bewildering wealth of research certainly justifies a summary, and this one is both useful and timely. The intended audience of church members and clergy should find the book more accessible than much of the research it summarizes. But it is also likely to appeal to the broader audience of individuals who, though not religiously affiliated, share some interest in the cultural impact and vitality of mainstream Protestantism. Ample documentation makes the book a useful introduction for academic as well as nonacademic audiences; it is both a summary and a collection of pointers that should make the whole body of research more accessible to students of religion. Steve Schroeder