Robert Putnam on Finding Community in an Isolated Age

The Russell Moore Show

Christianity Today, Russell Moore

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.8 • 914 Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Beyond Bowling Alone. “ Precisely what brings you into communion with the church is not sitting—no matter how good the sermon is—it’s not sitting in an auditorium with 3,000 people,” says Robert Putnam. “It’s connecting with other cobelievers in a small group.” Robert Putnam, political scientist and author of the cultural phenomenon Bowling Alone, joins Russell Moore to talk about social shifts in how we gather with—and separate from—one another. Putnam and Moore talk about religion, partisanship, and social shifts such as delayed marriage. Their conversation covers loneliness, the increasing number of people who do not identify with any religion, and politicization. Moore and Putnam consider the importance of coming together, explore the history of communities in America, and encourage listeners with practical steps for cultivating fellowship. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy by Robert D. Putnam Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam Join or Die “If You Want to Destroy My Sweater, Hold This Thread as I Walk Away” Christian Smith The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Ready to rise above loud, angry headlines, longing for an alternative to the world's fighting and fear-mongering.
0:10.2	Christianity Today magazine offers a trustworthy, faithful perspective on stories that matter to you,
0:16.6	from the church next door to movements and ministries all around the world.
0:21.5	Subscribe to CT for full access to in-depth reporting, insightful commentary, and redemptive
0:27.3	storytelling both online and in print. A subscription to CT also includes seasonal devotional
0:33.5	devotionals, special issues, and exclusive content. Visit order orderc.com today or click the link in the show notes to get started and join a growing
0:44.1	community of thoughtful evangelical Christians who value different news that makes a difference.
0:50.8	That's order ct.com to subscribe today.
0:58.8	Precisely what brings you into communion with the church is not sitting, no matter how good
1:03.2	the sermon is, it's not sitting in an auditorium with 3,000 people, it's connecting
1:07.3	with other co-believers in a small group.
1:26.8	Hello, this is Russell Moore, and you're listening to the Russell Moore show brought to you by Christianity today.
1:38.0	Every week, we explore here conversations and questions from a Christian perspective to help you sort out how to live as a follower of Jesus in confusing times. This week, we have a conversation to seek to do just that.
1:53.0	Thank you. conversation to seek to do just that. Maybe there's a word you stumble over every time you say it.
1:56.6	Maybe it's cinnamon or something like that.
1:58.9	For me, it's every time that I'm teaching from the
2:02.9	book of Genesis, chapter 49, the passage in which Jacob is blessing his children, his sons,
2:08.9	and the line goes, Judah is a lion's cub, which I every time say as Judah is a lion's club and then have to stop and restart. And the reason
2:22.1	for that, I realize, is because I grew up with a lion's club down the road from my house where
2:29.2	voting happened on election day. The elderly men gathered and took up drives to help people have eyeglasses
2:36.7	and all sorts of other things. Lions Club isn't there anymore. The building's there, but I don't
2:43.5	think anyone goes into it. What is there in my little hometown is something called the Citizens
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Christianity Today, Russell Moore, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Christianity Today, Russell Moore and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.