Various religions and denominations in late the twentieth-century United States experienced growth and revival, but increasing numbers of people identified themselves with particular affiliations without necessarily accepting all those traditions taught or becoming part of a local community of faith. A 1999 Gallup Poll indicated that 39 percent of Americans said that "there are a lot of things taught in my religion that I don't really believe," 45 percent said they paid more attention to "their own views" than to religious teaching in how they lived their lives, and 30 percent considered themselves "spiritual but not religious." This individualizing-of-religion phenomenon accompanied a trend toward "feel-good" religion, one that offered hope and comfort without a great deal of challenge. Examples of this trend were found in television shows such as Touched by an Angel and Nothing Sacred. The former dealt with compassionate angels who each week helped different individuals...