Predictable apostasy

Just finished reading a book titled Evangelical Disenchantment by David Hempton (Yale University Press, 2008). The chapters on Francis W. Newman, brother of Cardinal Newman, and Theodore Dwight Weld are worth the price of the book. (Of course, I didn't actually buy the book. I checked it out of the library.)

All of the people profiled in the book had a significant, compelling conversion experience in their teen years and engaged in evangelical ministry. Then left evangelicalism. In most cases, the "departure" was caused by the collision of ideals inspired by evangelical promise and individual and social reality presented by the evangelical community.

If you are trying to understand why creative, idealistic intellectuals have a hard time keeping themselves inside the box of traditional, conservative, devout religion, this book might provide some insight.

I plan to write a fuller, more analytic review but the book must go back to the library and I'm headed to Georgia for a week to visit my dad. So maybe in three weeks I can post the review.