Why was there almost no emphasis on "church growth" before the 1970s, and how does the fixation on it for the last 40 years correspond with the American economy? Skye talks with Andrew Root about his new book, "Baal and the Gods of More," about the link between the modern church growth movement and ancient pagan fertility gods. A new report by Ryan Burge says that for decades those who left the church were turned off by partisan politics and the religious right, but that trend might be changing. Also this week, Brazil blames its poor performance in the World Cup on evangelicals, European evangelicals issue a statement, and an old theory about early Christianity and psychedelic mushrooms is back.

Holy Post Plus:

Ad-Free Version of this Episode:

https://holypost.substack.com/p/730-the-idolatry-of-church-growth?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

Bonus Interview with Andrew Root:

https://holypost.substack.com/p/why-churches-cant-stop-chasing-growth?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

0:00 - Show Starts

4:07 - Theme Song

4:30 - Sponsor - AG1 - Heavily researched, thoroughly purity-tested, and filled with stuff you need. Get the AG1 $76 Welcome Pack for free when you order from https://www.drinkag1.com/HOLYPOST

6:01 - Sponsor - BetterHelp - This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off your first month!

7:03 - Was Jesus a Mushroom?

12:52 - Brazil Blames Evangelicals for Soccer Failure?

21:40 - Sponsor - Tyndale - To celebrate the NLT's 30th anniversary, Use code HOLY30 to receive 30% off any NLT Bible! https://tyndale.com

22:44 - Sponsor - Access Forge - Go to https://www.accessible.faith/ to unlock the first two Belonging by Design lessons and use promo code HOLYPOST to get $200 off the full program

23:47 - Sponsor - Feeding America - Feeding America, led by neighbors! Give now to end hunger at https://www.feedingamerica.org

24:20 - European Evangelicals

49:38 - Interview

54:32- Fertility Gods

1:02:09 - Capitalism and False Gods

1:18:26 - The Rise and Fall of American Growth

1:31:52 - End Credits

Links Mentioned in News Segment:

Popular Science Posits Jesus was a Psychedelic Mushroom:

Did Evangelicals Ruin Brazil's Soccer Performance?

https://religionnews.com/2026/07/17/some-world-cup-fans-are-blaming-brazils-loss-on-evangelicals/?utm_medium=social

European Evangelicals Differentiate from American Evangelicals:

https://religionunplugged.com/news/european-evangelicals-draw-a-clear-distinction-from-their-american-counterparts?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/christianity

Other Resources:

Baal and the Gods of More: Rescuing Church Growth from Idolatry (A Theological Critique of Modern Ministry Metrics and Success-Driven Strategies) by Andrew Root:

https://a.co/d/0c0ijKLw

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