Religion News Service (RNS) invites you to join a virtual conversation with Bob Smietana, RNS national reporter, on Thursday, August 11 at noon EST. Smietana will discuss his book REORGANIZED RELIGION: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why it Matters, which Worthy Publishing  will  release on August 30, 2022.  

REORGANIZED RELIGION uncovers the ways the Christian church has changed in recent years—from the decline of the mainline denominations to the mega-churchification of American culture to the rise of the Nones and Exvaneglicals.

This journalistic look at the state of the American church and its future draws on polling data, interviews with experts, and reporting on how faith communities old and new are coping with the changing religious landscape, along with personal stories about how faith is lived in everyday life. It also profiles faith communities and leaders who are finding interesting ways to reimagine what church might look like in the future and discuss various ways we can reinvent this organization so it survives and thrives. The book also reflects the hope that perhaps people of faith can learn to become, if not friends with the larger culture, then at least better neighbors.

Smietana will be joined in conversation with Scott Thumma, Phil Vischer, and Jemar Tisby, with RNS Managing Editor Roxanne Stone moderating the event.

Scott Thumma, Professor of Sociology of Religion and director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University, has published books, numerous articles and research reports. Phil Vischer is a filmmaker, songwriter and author, the Founder of Big Idea Productions, Jellyfish Labs, and the creator and storyteller behind VeggieTales and What’s in the Bible. Jemar Tisby is a New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise:  The Truth about the Church’s Complicity in Racism and How to Fight Racism, a national speaker and public historian.

You can register for this free event here. REORGANIZED RELIGION: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why it Matters can be preordered here.

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About the author: Bob Smietana is an RNS national reporter based near Chicago, covering evangelicals and the changing religious landscape. This award-winning religion reporter and editor has spent two decades producing breaking news, data journalism, investigative reporting, profiles and features for magazines, newspapers, trade publications and websites. He has served as a senior writer for Facts & Trends, senior editor of Christianity Today, religion writer at The Tennessean, and contributor to publications including OnFaith, USA Today and The Washington Post. He is best known for his coverage of Islam and Islamophobia, including his comprehensive reporting on the Murfreesboro mosque conflict, and evangelical Christianity.

About the moderator: Roxanne Stone is the managing editor for RNS, overseeing the newsroom’s daily operations. She is also the co-host of the RNS award-winning podcast Saved By the City. Before joining RNS in 2019, Stone served as editor in chief for Barna Group, a social research firm focusing on religion in America.

About Religion News Service: Religion News Service is an independent, nonprofit source of global news on religion, spirituality, culture and ethics, reported by a staff of professional journalists. Founded in 1934, RNS informs readers with objective reporting and insightful commentary, and is relied upon by readers, listeners and viewers in the United States and around the world. Visit ReligionNews.com