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He continued: “One of the reasons a lot of Catholics are swayed by evangelicals is that evangelicals use this language of a personal relationship with Jesus. A lot of Catholics are not aware of having one. They may have one, but they don’t use that kind of language, because it’s not part of their religious imagination.”

The number of Catholics in the United States has dropped significantly in the past decade, church attendance is waning and many Catholics remain at odds with bishops over issues such as gay marriage, birth control, married priests and women’s ordination.

Jamie Manson, a columnist for the National Catholic Reporter who’s written about the relationship between Catholics and evangelicals, says Rediscover is a novel effort but fails to address the issues dividing U.S. Catholics.

A number of Catholics who have left the church have joined evangelical denominations, many of which are growing financially as they add followers.

“I’ve never seen anything like [Rediscover],” Manson said. “Is it a harbinger of things to come? Possibly. ... It’s really something right out of the evangelical church, because that’s where they put their money. Technologically, they tend to be very cutting-edge and savvy.”

 

Rose French • 612-673-4352