American Congregations, Volume 2: New Perspectives in the Study of Congregations - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0226901882 ISBN 13: 9780226901886

Publisher: The University Of Chicago Press, 1995

Synopsis

American Congregations, Volume 2: New Perspectives in the Study of Congregations builds upon the empirical foundation provided by the historical studies in volume 1 of the Congregational History Project. Volume 2 addresses three crucial questions: Where is the congregation located on the broader map of American cultural and religious life? What are the distinctive qualities, tasks, and roles of the congregation or parish in American culture? And, what patterns of leadership characterize American congregations?

Published simultaneously, these two volumes combine engaging historical studies with incisive scholarsly analysis to focus attention on the central role of congregational studies in research and teaching of American religion.

"This two volume study of American congregations is of compelling importance to anyone interested in civil society, community, and belief in contemporary America. . . . Extraordinarily rich in detail."—Association for Research on Non-profit Organizations and Voluntary Action News

"[An] informative and stimulating study."—John A. Saliba, Journal of Contemporary Religion

"These congregational histories are important pieces of both social and religious history. They tell us much about the convictions and experience of a great variety of people, different styles of leadership and of how these distinctive local cultures both bear and shape the larger traditions they represent."—Gordon Harland, Studies in Religion

"Both volumes of American Congregations resulted from pioneering efforts, and they are timely and useful. They should force American religious historians to ask new questions. . . . Any American religious historian who fails to take this two-volume work seriously in the future will find his or her own scholarship terribly deficient."—Lewis V. Baldwin, Journal of American History

About this title

From the Back Cover

'These essays greatly enhance our understanding of the ways in which congregations have been changing in response to their social surroundings. Against the hoopla of 'church growth' specialists, the authors of this volume present a sober analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary congregations. They demonstrate that maintaining a spiritual presence is a complicated business--and that we should not be deceived into thinking that numeric growth is the sine qua non of a successful ministry.' Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University.

About the Author

James P. Wind is president of the Alban Institute. James W. Lewis is executive director of the Louisville Institute. Together they directed the Congregational History Project which was based at the University of Chicago's Divinity School from 1987-1990.

About this edition

• Publisher: The University Of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0226901882
• ISBN 13: 9780226901886
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 292
• Editor: Wind James P., Lewis James W.