07/18/19 In her 2004 Pulitzer-Prize winning novel Gilead, Marilynne Robinson sketches a portrait of the Rev. John Ames, a small-town pastor in 1950s Iowa who is humble, self-aware, compassionate and devoted to his family and his congregation, and they to him. Americans no longer hold clergy in such high regard, according to a recent poll, and even regular churchgoers are seeking counsel elsewhere. A NORC/AP poll of 1,137 adults released this month shows that doctors, teachers, members of the military—even scientists—are viewed more positively than clergy. The less frequently people attend church, the more negative their views.
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