
The Faith Next Door
American Christians and Their New Religious Neighbors
Paul D. Numrich(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 8. October 2009
Book
Hardback
184 pages
978-0-19-538621-9 (ISBN)
Description
In 1993, 8000 representatives of the religions of the world gathered in Chicago, on the centennial of the historical 1893 World's Parliament of Religions. The objectives were to "promote understanding and cooperation among religious communities and institutions" and "encourage the spirit of harmony and celebrate, with openness and mutual respect, the rich diversity of religions.'" The Parliament also raised a pressing question: How do local Christians respond when they discover that the religions of the world now reside in their town? Most of the non-Christian representatives to the first Parliament came from outside the U.S. In 1993, however, when the organizers invited the religious communities of Chicago to form host committees for the event, more than half turned out to be non-Christian: Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian. In this book, Paul Numrich presents eleven case studies of local Chicago-area Christian responses to America's changing religious landscape. Offering a broad, balanced, and sympathetic sampling, he wants to enable readers to make informed decisions about their own attitudes and strategies regarding their non-Christian neighbors. Included are Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christian cases, cases from immigrant and African-American communities, and perspectives ranging from conservative to liberal, from evangelical to pluralist. His study will be of great interest to scholars of American religious pluralism but is also designed to be usable by adult congregational study groups and church leaders at all points on the theological spectrum and from every denominational background.
Reviews / Votes
That the United States has become a religiously plural country is common knowledge. What Paul Numrich illumines is how that plurality is affecting local communities and churches. These case studies give the reader invaluable insights into what religious plurality does, positively and negatively, to religious faith. An important resource. * Dr. Terry C. Muck, Dean and Professor of World Religion, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
373 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-538621-9 (9780195386219)
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Additional editions

E-Book
08/2009
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€18.99
Available for download

E-Book
08/2009
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€11.99
Available for download
Person
Paul Numrich is a Research Associate Professor at the McNamara Center for the Social Studie of Religion, Loyola University Chicago
Author
Dr. Research Associate Professor, The McNamara Center for the Social Studies of ReligionDr. Research Associate Professor, The McNamara Center for the Social Studies of Religion, Loyola University College, USA
Content
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS [III]; FOREWORD, FRED KNISS [VI]; INTRODUCTION: AMERICA'S NEW RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY [1]; CONCLUSION: LOCAL CHRISTIANS FACE AMERICA'S NEW RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY [183]; INDEX