
Faith on the Avenue
Religion on a City Street
Katie Day(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 23. January 2014
Book
Hardback
264 pages
978-0-19-986002-9 (ISBN)
Description
In a richly illustrated, revelatory study of Philadelphia's Germantown Avenue, home to a diverse array of more than 90 Christian and Muslim congregations, Katie Day explores the formative and multifaceted role of religious congregations within an urban environment.
Germantown Avenue cuts through Philadelphia for eight and a half miles, from the affluent neighborhood of Chestnut Hill to the high crime section known as ''the Badlands.'' The congregations along this route range from the wealthiest to the poorest populations in Philadelphia. Some congregants are immigrants who find safety and support in close fellowship, while others are long-time residents whose congregations are actively involved in providing social services. Cities undergo constant change, and their congregations change with them. As Day observes, some congregations have sprung up in former commercial strips, harboring new arrivals and recreating a sense of home, and others form an anchor for a neighborhood across generations, providing a connection to the past and a hope of stability for the future.
Social scientists, urban planners, and politicians have long overlooked the agency of communities of faith in the construction of the social, cultural, economic, and physical reality of life in the city. Drawing on years of research, in-depth interviews with religious leaders and congregants, and a wealth of demographic data, Day demonstrates the powerful influence cities exert on their congregations, and the surprising and important impact congregations have on their urban environments.
Germantown Avenue cuts through Philadelphia for eight and a half miles, from the affluent neighborhood of Chestnut Hill to the high crime section known as ''the Badlands.'' The congregations along this route range from the wealthiest to the poorest populations in Philadelphia. Some congregants are immigrants who find safety and support in close fellowship, while others are long-time residents whose congregations are actively involved in providing social services. Cities undergo constant change, and their congregations change with them. As Day observes, some congregations have sprung up in former commercial strips, harboring new arrivals and recreating a sense of home, and others form an anchor for a neighborhood across generations, providing a connection to the past and a hope of stability for the future.
Social scientists, urban planners, and politicians have long overlooked the agency of communities of faith in the construction of the social, cultural, economic, and physical reality of life in the city. Drawing on years of research, in-depth interviews with religious leaders and congregants, and a wealth of demographic data, Day demonstrates the powerful influence cities exert on their congregations, and the surprising and important impact congregations have on their urban environments.
Reviews / Votes
Unique as well as worthwhile. * James V. Spickard, Review of Religious Research *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
78 photos
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
564 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-986002-9 (9780199860029)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
04/2018
Oxford University Press Inc
€37.80
Shipment within 15-20 days

E-Book
12/2013
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€11.99
Available for download

E-Book
12/2013
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€11.99
Available for download
Person
Katie Day holds the Charles A. Schieren Chair in Church and Society at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.
Author
Charles A. Scheiren Professor, Church and Society; Director, Metropolitan/Urban ConcentrationCharles A. Scheiren Professor, Church and Society; Director, Metropolitan/Urban Concentration, The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Content
Index of Pictures and Figures ; Introduction ; 1. Mapping Faith on the Avenue ; 2. Constructing the Sacred in Space and Place ; 3. Seeking the Welfare of the City ; 4. Pound for Pound: The Social Impact of Small Churches ; 5. Pentecostal Latinas: Engendering Selves in Storefront Congregations ; 6. Muslims on the Block: Navigating the Urban Ecology ; 7. Urban Flux: Mobility, Change and Communities of Faith ; Bibliography ; Index