American Evangelicalism. Coinciding with my hypothesis, this theory contends that many traditional orthodox religions survive and prosper when they are sheltered from the undermining effects of modernity. Smith states "modernity's technological production, bureaucratic social organization, rational and utilitarian values, urbanization, cultural diversity, mass media communications, and differentiation of spheres and functions are all thought to undermine the credibility and security of religious world views (Smith, 68)." These "cohesive forces" that Smith mentions are all products of American commercialized regions. These forces, according to James Davison Hunter, "make it increasingly difficult for people to maintain an open attachment to a perspective on reality the antithesis of which is institutionalized in most sectors of social life and taken for granted as the norm (Smith, 68)." He basically is stating that much of a person's perspective on reality and life is based on popular culture and mass me
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