The Return of the Mainline? (ft. Brad East)
First Things Podcast
First Things
4.5 • 727 Ratings
🗓️ 16 April 2026
⏱️ 45 minutes
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| 0:30.3 | Hello, welcome to the editor's desk. |
| 0:32.7 | This is the podcast where we take a closer look at the essays and articles in the latest print issue of First |
| 0:38.4 | Things magazine. I'm Rusty Reno. I'm the editor of First Things Magazine, and I'm here with you today |
| 0:44.9 | at the editor's desk. I'd like to welcome Brad East to the podcast. We're going to talk about his review of Ryan Burge's book, The Vanishing Church, |
| 1:01.1 | how the hollowing out of the moderate congregations is hurting democracy, faith, and us. |
| 1:07.6 | This book, which is in the April 2026 issue of First Things magazine. |
| 1:12.6 | Welcome to the broadcast, Brad. |
| 1:14.2 | Thanks for having me. |
| 1:17.5 | You, this is a book that is, what is, it's a kind of, it's meant to, Burj is a noted statistician or noted interpreter of statistics |
| 1:34.7 | about religious life in America, and I certainly have quoted him in some of the stuff that I write. |
| 1:40.0 | And you agree that he's just kind of like the go-to guy on religious trends. |
| 1:47.8 | That's fair. |
| 1:48.1 | He's the guy for everyone. |
| 1:50.0 | Yeah, as you point out, Catholic, Protestant. |
| 1:53.8 | But this book is different than some of his previous intervention. |
| 2:00.6 | I gather a kind of creed decor. |
| 2:04.1 | What is he after in this? |
... |
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