George McCully writes: “I published a short (116 page) book, Christianity Then and Now: Can It Be Saved? Christianity today is generally acknowledged to be in possibly terminal decline. Whereas twentieth-century church membership was stable at about 69% of American adults, in the past 25 years median congregation size has dropped from 137 to 65; 100,000 churches are now expected to close soon. But in 2023, the Pew Research Center reported that a closely equivalent number, 62%, call themselves “Christian,” whatever that may mean. What may have happened is not necessarily a decline of spirituality or religiosity but a simple flight from Christian churches. This book has two purposes: first, to define Christianity correctly, anchored in a new textual analysis of John’s Gospel and later authorities; and second, to suggest a number of fundamental adaptations traditional Christianity must now make to reverse the trend and gain viability today.
Personal news: I have been twice married and have four children and three grandchildren. Between the two, I was for 10 years the single father of two boys. I am now semi-retired and living in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. Health is excellent and finally after 20 years of commuting from Boston, I am joined by Barbara Ardan, a former professor of painting in Oneonta, New York. Most of my time now is spent writing, gardening, and working out at the local Y.” Contact George at [email protected].
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Class of 1960