“The church of the West,” The Economist, Feb 7, 2002. This article in detail illustrates how an emergent system (in this case, the Mormon church) can grow from its early radical days to a more mature, mainstream force which nevertheless continues to grow into the space of the culture around it. The key to its growth is the following:
If you go to the Mormons’ visitor centre at the heart of Salt Lake City, the smiling hosts will describe a mainstream American Christian church—faster-growing and more conservative than most, but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary. Its doctrines seem unexceptional. It lays great stress on the nuclear family. Its views on abortion, same-sex marriage and lifestyle are culturally conservative; Mormons do not drink alcohol, coffee or tea, and do not smoke or gamble. They also have an uninhibited attitude to capitalism, running plenty of for-profit firms.
Despite accusations of a “quasi-theocracy”, the church is in some ways ostentatiously apolitical. Its leaders, unlike those of many other churches, refuse to endorse candidates for office. It takes public positions only on moral matters, such as abortion. It insists on obeying the laws of even the dictatorial countries where its missionaries roam. One senior Mormon, Dallin Oaks, quotes scriptural authority for his view that “Latter-Day Saints obey the law, participate in the affairs of government at all levels and serve in the armed forces of their respective nations.” In short, Mormons appear to be a mainstream evangelical church, upholding private property, traditional family values and the separation of church and state.
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The church is extraordinarily demanding of members’ time and money. Mormons are supposed to “tithe”—that is, give 10% of their income to the church. Nearly two-thirds do so, accounting for most of the church’s estimated income of $6 billion a year. They also voluntarily give anything up to 40 hours a week to church-run activities, an extraordinary commitment of time that helps to sustain one of the world’s most impressive welfare services. At the local level, argues Dean May, a historian at the University of Utah, Mormons are far more “communal” in their attitudes than is normal in individualistic America.
It’s interesting to contemplate what of these factors give rise to the continued successful growth of the Mormons. But consider the identity of an emergent church: new/unique, enduring, a greater wholeness (a larger identity), adaptation, and visibility.
- Unique features: although these are less unique these days than they have been in the past: culturally conservative, with an emphasis on larger families.
- Enduring: it has managed to continue growth through a twin emphasis on conversion (the missionary service of young people) coupled with larger families. In reality, any church in which the average number of children is greater than, say, 2, will outgrow the culture around it.
- A larger identity: most churches, denominations and traditions obviously have this. The Mormon church’s identity has shifted over time.
- Adaptation: the article in question recounts briefly the shifts that have occurred from what the Mormons were early to the nearly ”mainstream evangelical church” they are today.
- Visibility: the Mormon church is quite visible.
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