Bradley Wright, a sociologist at the University of Connecticut, has developed the unusual habit of dispensing good news about world affairs. Amidst dire declarations of financial meltdowns, rising poverty, increased warfare, and crumbling social institutions like marriage and church, Wright declares that the best available data are telling a very different story.
His first book, Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told, argued that evangelicals are far more well-liked than the media (including Christian media) has led them to believe—and, more importantly, that they're living closer to Christian ideals. His new book, Upside, argues that the United States as a whole is on the right track—for the most part. Are we facing social, financial, religious, and environmental crises? Sure. But Wright says we have misunderstood the nature and scope of those problems. (Visit the Patheos Book Club for more on Upside.)
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