单选题 ______sermons retained their preeminence in religious life during most of the twentieth century, they are gradually losing that central places as churches devote more energy to social activities.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 本题答案是D。考查连词运用。根据句子后半句的“渐渐失去了中心地位”可知，基调上呈转折意味，只有D项although符合题意。