Why We’re Publishing “Water in the Desert”

Everybody following the state of religion in the United States knows Christianity has been going through radical change for the past few decades. Once the powerhouse of American religion, the mainline church—defined as the seven Protestant denominations with moderate-to-liberal theology and a focus on social justice^[1]— has seen massive decline in participation. The Pew Research Center’s periodic Religious Landscape Study for 2023-2024 reports that only 11% of Americans participate in the mainline church.^[2] From a peak of about 100 million participants, today there are about 12.5 million “mainliners.”

Source: Facebook page for religious statistician Ryan Burge

The one place Christianity is seeing growth is the evangelical church. Evangelicals often focus on direct personal faith and biblical literalism with an emphasis on personal salvation, creating a more conservative, rigid, and exclusionary church. The Pew survey indicates evangelicals make up about 23% of the American population.

The third-largest group, 19% of the population, consider themselves ‘nothing in particular’. Sometimes called the “nones,” the definition is foggy but includes those who have no specific preferences or perhaps no interest at all, but who do not call themselves atheist or agnostic.

These ‘nones’, as many as 16 million Americans adults, are seeking a fresh vision of faith, religion, and perhaps even Christianity that dwells between the buildings and organizational structures of traditional congregations and the open-ended uncertainty of figure-it-out-yourself faith. But there’s not much out there to serve as a guide through those spiritual frontiers.

Chalice Press’s newest release, Water in the Desert: Progressive Christianity for the Spiritually Thirsty, can be a first station on that journey. As a long-time campus minister, Jim Burklo has mentored countless sojourners discovering or rediscovering their faith, learning a new perspective, or healing from the injuries faith can sometimes inflict. Burklo prioritizes “common sense and decency” over rigid dogma, providing a clear path for understanding and practicing faith, a safe space for those who understand their current faith tradition no longer works for them, and practical talking points for spiritual practice and social activism, all through a lens of a welcoming, inclusive, compassionate Christianity.

Burklo methodically lays out a view of Progressive Christianity, beginning with “an introduction to God,” followed by primers on Christianity, Jesus, the Bible, Prayer, the crucifixion and resurrection, sin and forgiveness, Christian rituals, and community. He closes with the concept of religious pluralism—understanding that different people may be served better by different religions—and the Social Gospel, which applies Christian ethics to modern issues as the basis for social activism.

Burklo’s writing is informative, conversational, and inspiring, just like those thousands of conversations he had with students at Stanford and USC and with others exploring their faith. Water in the Desert is a fresh draft of a book first published almost 20 years ago. Chalice associate publisher David Woodard credits his adult spiritual formation in part to that first version, titled Open Christianity and published by St. Johann Press. Woodard reached out to Burklo about updating the book, and the result is the inspiring work we’re proud to share.

As you read, you may think, “I bet my friend or family member would really appreciate this book,” and you’re right. Water in the Desert will also equip you to be a stronger advocate for Christianity and for the genuine compassion that has somehow become surprisingly rare. This is a read that will help you be a welcoming emissary to those curious about why Christianity deserves a second look.

Burklo recognizes the pain Christianity is causing in America and notes the un-Christ-like dogmas inherent in conservativism. But he also sees an opportunity. “In politics and society, progressive Christians offer a crucial role. We offer a compelling vision of a world that could be, and we offer the spiritual sustenance needed to create it.” Christianity “should move us to preserve democracy and real freedom, and to press on for peace and economic justice and salvation from human-caused climate catastrophe. And it should give us the spiritual resilience we will need to do the work.”

We hope Water in the Desert inspires you to speak up for the compassion and justice needed in our culture these days. May it breathe new life into your spirit and bring us together on a shared life rooted in faith and hope.