By Jim Coggins

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LOOKING back over the past year, the editors of CC.com have selected several stories which represent key trends in the Canadian church. Fourth in a series.

One of the major stories in Canadian religion in 2008 was the bitter division of the Anglican Church of Canada (and the worldwide Anglican Communion). This is a major change in one of Canada's largest denominations

The division is also symptomatic of much larger changes in Canadian Protestantism as a whole.

Historically, Canadian religion was made up of two main traditions, Roman Catholic and Protestant. A century ago, the Protestant tradition was largely made up of three mainline denominations: Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist (with the Methodists and some of the Presbyterians merging in 1925 into the United Church of Canada). Baptists were a considerably smaller fourth Protestant group. While the Protestant groups cooperated, there was considerable distrust and even antagonism between Protestants and Catholics.

Now, a century later, the 'mainline' Protestant denominations have shrunk very considerably, and the Protestant tradition has fragmented into numerous and much more varied groups and denominations. In this welter, three main directions are visible.

First, the mainline Protestant denominations have tended to accommodate a more 'liberal' theology. Bishop Michael Ingham of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster has been one of the most prominent icons of liberal Protestantism, both for his diocese's approval of same-sex blessings (the event which precipitated the split in Canadian Anglicanism) but also for his 1997 book, Mansions of the Spirit.

This year, a new icon of liberal Protestantism came to prominence, when Gretta Vosper, a United Church minister from Toronto, published a book called With or Without God: Why the Way We Live is More Important than What We Believe. Vosper advocates "progressive Christianity," which calls for "shifting the worship and practice of Canadian mainline Christianity from its primary focus on traditional Christian doctrine and story to one celebrating the non-exclusive principles of compassionate living and right relationship with self, others, and the planet." She admits she does not believe in the existence of a God as usually understood in Christian doctrine.

The decline of mainline Protestantism has not been universal, and recent years have shown some resurgence among some mainline churches. For instance, Diane Butler Bass's book Christianity for the Rest of Us gained considerable attention in 2008; it is based on a three-year study of 50 flourishing mainline congregations in the United States.

Similarly, the January 2009 issue of the United Church Observer profiled five United Church congregations in Canada that are doing well.

Second, while mainline Protestant numbers have declined, an evangelical movement has grown up in Canada that is now considerably larger (in terms of Sunday morning attendance) and often more vibrant than the mainline Protestant churches. It is significant that those now leaving the Anglican Church of Canada sometimes call themselves "evangelical Anglicans." Although differences certainly remain, the conservative elements in the mainline denominations see themselves as having some shared interests with evangelicalism.

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Third, there is an increasingly large number of people who are unconnected to any organized religion. This group probably constitutes the largest group of those leaving mainline Protestant churches (and includes some leaving Roman Catholic and evangelical churches as well). These are people who often consider themselves spiritual without being religious, and who are determined to define their own beliefs rather than accept the doctrine of any religious authority.

One factor in this development is the immigration of adherents of other religions into Canada. These religions have won few converts among longer-term Canadians, but their increased profile has led some Canadians to think that all religions (and therefore no religions) are right.

This attitude seems to be especially prominent on the west coast of North America and was encapsulated in a 2008 book by Vancouver Sun religion writer Douglas Todd. Cascadia: The Elusive Utopia describes these people as "the least institutionally religious people on the continent" but "eclectically, informally, often deeply spiritual."

Another aspect of the Anglican schism is that it demonstrates that power in the worldwide Anglican Communion has shifted to the Third World. The division is being driven by the conservative majority in the 'Global South' refusing to accept the more liberal direction of the Anglican churches in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

This shift in church power is also evident in the Roman Catholic and evangelical traditions as well. It is significant that the Roman Catholic Church in North America is now relying on immigration to maintain its numbers and is recruiting immigrants to serve as priests.

One of the very interesting aspects of the developments within Protestantism is the impact it has had on the old Roman Catholic/Protestant divide. One might have expected evangelicals, as the most conservative Protestants, to have maintained the old Protestant mistrust of Catholicism.

This does not seem to be the case. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops belongs to the Canadian Council of Churches (home to the mainline Protestant churches) rather than the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. However, on many social issues, such as abortion and homosexuality, Roman Catholics and evangelicals often find themselves not only in agreement but also cooperating on specific initiatives -- and they sometimes find their position opposed by mainline Protestant denominations.

Evangelicals and Roman Catholics are also finding some common ground on theological issues. This is partly because, since the Vatican II council in the 1960s, Roman Catholics have moved toward a stronger emphasis on the Bible. As well, Catholics and evangelicals have charismatic wings/influences in common.

One indication of this coming together is recent polls suggesting Roman Catholics are now joining evangelicals in tending to support the Conservative Party in Canadian elections.

It is also significant that Roman Catholics joined evangelicals in supporting Heaven's Rehearsal, a massive worship event held in Toronto November 1 and initiated by evangelicals Reynold and Kathy Mainse of Crossroads Christian Communications.

January 22/2009