America is in a state of spiritual decline. According to recent opinion polls and election returns, Americans are deeply concerned about the quality of life in this country. While liberals want big government to solve social problems like violent crime, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and welfare dependency, conservatives believe local authorities, especially churches, are the only ones who can bring values and wholesome prosperity back to American life. But, argues historian Thomas Reeves, if we expect churches to improve our communities, we must first address a more pressing question: Do churches really matter anymore? In this alarming expose of America's mainline Protestant churches, historian Thomas C. Reeves asserts that these once hallowed houses of worship do not matter nearly so much as they used to, and that, in fact, they are consistently unappealing and irrelevant. - Jacket flap.