The modern postmodern condition: seeking religious identity in contemporary American culture

Modern American Christians that adhere to the Biblical invocation to be "in the world, but not of the world", are faced with a unique dilemma in contemporary American culture. Due to American public cultures emphasis on individualism and Christianitys emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, many Christians feel compelled by these social influences to develop their own individual brands of Christianity, which in many ways threaten parochial Christian traditions. Therefore, new religious communities are arising blending influences from these Christian traditions and from popular American culture. By doing so, Christians involved in these communities are attempting to balance their individual identities with communal worship in order to adapt to a rapidly changing society.