James P. Wind – författare

Volume One of this two-volume study chronicles the founding, growth and development of 12 congregations that represent the diverse reality of local religious cultures in America. Some, like Center Church in New Haven, Connecticut, trace their stories back to colonial times. Others, like the Swaminarayan Hindu temple in suburban Chicago, are recent attempts to create local religious worlds. Ranging from congregations of Lebanese Muslims in Northern Canada to Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, the essays convey the distinctive character of each congregation and provide evidence of the importance of congregations in daily life. The essays use the particular experience of local religious communities to explore a wide range of issues from the fate of mainline American Protestantism to the rise of charismatic revivalism. In addition to discussing the larger themes of American religious life, the essays portray a variety of notable men and women.

The congregation is a distinctly American religious structure, and is often overlooked in traditional studies of religion. But one cannot understand American religion without understanding the congregation.Volume 1: "Portraits of Twelve Religious Communities" chronicles the founding, growth, and development of congregations that represent the diverse and complex reality of American local religious cultures. The contributors explore multiple issues, from the fate of American Protestantism to the rise of charismatic revivalism.Volume 2: "New Perspectives in the Study of Congregations" builds upon those historical studies, and addresses three crucial questions: Where is the congregation located on the broader map of American cultural and religious life? What are congregations' distinctive qualities, tasks, and roles in American culture? And, what patterns of leadership characterize congregations in America?These essays are an indispensable tool for understanding American congregations and American religion as a whole.

Drawing upon the experiences and insights of a diverse group of notable contributors, this volume is perhaps the most complete study available on clergy ethics. The topics discussed include the separation of church and state, clergy professionalization, ethical pastoral care, and many more.

Whether Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, Islamic mosques, Buddhist temples, or the gathering places for other faiths, buildings designed for worship are significant to both their own community of believers and their larger communities. Coming to understand the history of places of worship, therefore, is an essential element in understanding the historical fabric of these communities.Places of Worship offers the abundant insights of an experienced historian of American religion. Using illustrations from a wide diversity of congregations, Wind suggests ways in which answers may be sought. In two enlightening appendices, he also provides guidance to important published works on American religion and a directory of denominational archives and historical agencies. But perhaps his greatest contribution is to emphasize the necessity of viewing any religious community as a dynamic, evolving social organism. The author not only offers a comprehensive rationale for including political and secular influences from each era covered by the religious group's history, he also explains to the reader the most effective use of these resources. Because of its fresh perspective, this volume will prove invaluable to anyone exploring the history of American places of worship.Places of Worship is Volume 4 in The Nearby History Series.