Western Bible Crisis - Root Causes?

In just over a week I will be flying out to an international conference focusing on Bible Engagement issues. As part of the program I have elected to sit in on a Think Tank dedicated to investigating the question of why there is a crisis of Bible Engagement in 'Post-Christian Societies'. There is no simple answer/s to this dilemma and I have been attempting to martial my thoughts in preparation for this discussion. Without any real explanation, I am going to list some of the key contributing factors to Western Bible Dis-engagement as I see them. I would love to hear your feedback on this list - especially if you are planning to be at the conference. If you are not going to the conference, but would still like to share your thoughts, I'll attempt to take your ideas to the discussion table.

Here we go...

1. Misunderstanding amongst Christians in regard to the true nature of the Bible and the appropriate use of it.
2. Misunderstanding amongst Christians in regard to the true nature of the Gospel and discipleship.
3. Dualism in the Christian Church.
4. Postmodern philosophy (relativism, pluralism, deconstruction)
5. Individualism and the loss of community.
6. Affluence, materialism and consumerism.
7. The ongoing consequences of humanism, The Enlightenment and the 'death of God'.
8. The challenge of technology and New Media.

The Difference Between 'Studying' and 'Reading' the Bible

Some brief thoughts from author of "The Message" on how to approach the Bible.