The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us

A Data-Driven Examination of the Religious Fault Lines Reshaping American Politics and Faith

The moderate American church is disappearing—and it's taking democracy with it.

Many people assume evangelicals are Republican, Democrats aren't religious, and moderate Christians no longer exist. But that wasn't always true. In the 1980s, evangelicals were just as likely sit beside a Democrat as a Republican at church.

What changed?

In this groundbreaking book, data scientist Ryan Burge reveals

● how religious polarization reshaped America and caused many to leave church,
● why faith became an identity in the culture wars,
● the hidden truth that Americans are more moderate than the media suggests,
● why polarization in our churches affects all aspects of social connection and community, and
● a path forward for churches to bridge political divides.

This book reveals how political polarization transformed American Christianity over the past fifty years and why this divide impacts every aspect of society. Drawing on extensive data, Burge shows how churches that embraced conservative politics during the culture wars drove away millions of moderate and liberal Christians, hollowing out congregations that once bridged political divides.

Burge makes a compelling case that America needs churches now more than ever—not as political battlegrounds but as spaces where people of different backgrounds and beliefs can come together. Blending personal stories with rigorous, up-to-date research, The Vanishing Church offers hope that faith communities can help heal our divisions and restore the common ground essential for democracy to thrive.