The Decline of Community and the Importance of Connection

“ Precisely what brings you into communion with the church is not sitting—no matter how good the sermon is—it’s not sitting in an auditorium with 3,000 people,” says Robert Putnam. “It’s connecting with other cobelievers in a small group.” 

Robert Putnam, political scientist and author of the cultural phenomenon Bowling Alone, joins Russell Moore to talk about social shifts in how we gather with—and separate from—one another. Putnam and Moore talk about religion, partisanship, and social shifts such as delayed marriage. Their conversation covers loneliness, the increasing number of people who do not identify with any religion, and politicization. 

Moore and Putnam consider the importance of coming together, explore the history of communities in America, and encourage listeners with practical steps for cultivating fellowship. 

Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include:

• Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy by Robert D. Putnam
• Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam 
• Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam
• Join or Die
• “If You Want to Destroy My Sweater, Hold This Thread as I Walk Away” 
•  Christian Smith
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis

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