The Third Disestablishment: A Symposium.

The article focuses on regional differences in the way mainstream churches responded to the cultural upheaval. The first disestablishment occurred at the time of the nation's founding when it became understood that no Protestant church would be singled out for state recognition. The second disestablishment occurred during the years between the two world wars. The third disestablishment is the change in the church-culture relationship whereby persons are seen to be free to choose not only which religion will be theirs but also whether to choose any at all. Large increases in individualism took place both structurally, by diminishing local social relationships, and culturally, by alternative moral expectations in the family/sexual sphere.