According to the article by Yonat Shimron, the United States is becoming increasingly non religious; more specifically, there is a greater number of people identifying as nonchristian. This was discovered through annual political surveys given to 12,000 to 25,000 people each. The timeframe for comparison is about a decade. There were many interesting things to note from the surveys’ results, including possible reasons for the decrease in religious practices in America; Scott Thumma, a theological sociologist, and Greg Smith, a theology journalist, each have possible theories. Thumma suggests that the decrease could be a generational shift resulting from cultural changes overtime. 84% of people born between 1928 and 1945 identify as Christian, while only 49% of people born between 1981 and 1996 identify that way. Thumma believes there are a few possible reasons for this generational shift. Younger people may feel less pressure to attend religious functions than older people. It could be clergy sexual abuse scandals scaring people off. New liberation of sexuality and gender could also be turning people away from more traditional religious practices. Meanwhile, Smith believes there is a correlation between religious and political identity. He believes that dissatisfaction with conservative political ties with Christianity may be driving more people to be non religious. Another theology blogger, Hemant Mehta, agrees to an extent. Mehta thinks that people aren’t being driven to atheism necessarily, but rather, away from the conservative idea of religion. It is interesting to note that while one third of those with democratic leanings identify as non religious, there has been an increase in “nones” in those with more conservative leanings as well, from 10% to 16% within the last decade. No matter the reason, there is very clearly an increase in non religious people when compared to ten years ago. The number of Protestants have decreased from 51% to 43%, and Catholics have decreased from 23% to 20%. I found all this to be very interesting; it made me think of a class discussion from earlier in the semester. It’s interesting to see how there is now a decrease in people that identify as Christian, as compared to the boom that occurred in the 1950s and 60s.
Author: sarahnoel1
“Angels Unawares” sculpture in Vatican
Many Popes of the past have commissioned and displayed works related to issues of their time, and Pope Francis is no different. The sculpture, dedicated to the trials of immigrants and refugees, is placed at the center of St Peter’s Square for all to see.
It is a “sculpture in the round,” meaning it is meant to be viewed from all angles. The work depicts 140 immigrants and refugees from all cultures, religions, and time periods. This is the same amount of figures as there are Saints and Martyrs on top of the colonnade. At the center, a figure is shrouded with wings reaching up to the sky. This is a reference to a passage in the Bible stating, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: For thereby some have entertained angels unawares,” which is also the inspiration for the piece.
The purpose of this commission is to show the dedication the Pope has towards immigrants and refugees. The Pope believes that to be ignorant of the suffering of those in an unfortunate position like that would be unchristian. It is the duty of all Christians to feel sympathy for them, and to take action to help. It is in the center of Saint Peter’s Square to place it “in the heart of Catholicism,” as the artist puts it. The sculpture itself is large and placed deliberately, to let those who see it understand that all life is sacred. There are some people upset by the politically charged message behind the sculpture, and the fact it’s placed so prominently for all to see; Italian archeologist, Ester Scoditti, believes that as Pope, Francis has the power to commission and display works at the Vatican like Popes of the past. She also believes that the subject and placement of the sculpture is fitting, creating a juxtaposition with the Martyrs on the colonnade.
The artist, Timothy Schmalz, is well known for his works based on the Bible. He states that he wishes to take scenes from the Bible that most people forget about, and depict them in an emotionally visual way.
contemporaryamericanreligion 