Synopses & Reviews
Since World War II, historians have analyzed a phenomenon of andldquo;white flightandrdquo; plaguing the urban areas of the northern United States. One of the most interesting cases of andldquo;white flightandrdquo; occurred in the Chicago neighborhoods of Englewood and Roseland, where seven entire church congregations from one denomination, the Christian Reformed Church, left the city in the 1960s and 1970s and relocated their churches to nearby suburbs. In
Shades of White Flight, sociologist Mark T. Mulder investigates the migration of these Chicago church members, revealing how these churches not only failed to inhibit white flight, but actually facilitated the congregationsandrsquo; departure.
and#160;Using a wealth of both archival and interview data, Mulder sheds light on the forces that shaped these midwestern neighborhoods and shows that, surprisingly, evangelical religion fostered both segregation as well as the decline of urban stability. Indeed, the Roseland and Englewood stories show how religionandmdash;often used to foster community and social connectednessandmdash;can sometimes help to disintegrate neighborhoods. Mulder describes how the Dutch CRC formed an insular social circle that focused on the local church and Christian schoolandmdash;instead of the local park or square or marketandmdash;as the center point of the community. Rather than embrace the larger community, the CRC subculture sheltered themselves and their families within these two places. Thus it became relatively easyandmdash;when black families moved into the neighborhoodandmdash;to sell the church and school and relocate in the suburbs. This is especially true because, in these congregations, authority rested at the local church level and in fact they owned the buildings themselves.and#160;
and#160;Revealing how a dominant form of evangelical church polityandmdash;congregationalismandmdash;functioned within the larger phenomenon of white flight, Shades of White Flight lends new insights into the role of religion and how it can affect social change, not always for the better.and#160;
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Review
andquot;Shades of White Flight is a fascinating book on race, religion, and urbanization that provides key insights on how a uniquely American brand of evangelicalism unintentionally contributed to and#39;white flightand#39; in Chicago.andquot;
Review
andquot;A profound work. Mark Mulder, an astute observer of urban life and rising star in the field, opens our eyes to the role of religion in todayandrsquo;s intense segregation patterns and neighborhood disinvestment. I could not put this book down.andquot;
Review
Although this book is based on a case study of Dutch Calvinist churches departing their interracial Chicago neighborhoods in the 1960s and 1970s, the author also sheds considerable light on how the congregational structures of many evangelical churches may be a factor in racial segregation patterns in urban settings. and#160;Sociologist Mulder examines the histories of a group of Christian Reformed Churches (CRC) on the South Side of Chicago and how they made the transition to the suburbs as African Americans were migrating to their neighborhoods. and#160;He finds that the self-contained natures of these congregations and their associated parochial schools, having little to do with other neighborhood groups and even other churches, made it difficult to include outsiders in their ranks. and#160;The CRCandrsquo;s congregational style of church government (which is widespread among evangelical groups, even though Reformed churches have more often held a Presbyterian style of polity) insulated them from denominational leadership and larger structures that could have directed and supported these congregations in attempts to integrate with their neighborhoods, especially during local conflicts and controversies. and#160;Mulderandrsquo;s study is an important effort that shows how congregational polity can have long-term neighborhood implications.
Synopsis
In addition to being a religious countryandugrave;over ninety percent of Americans believe in God--the United States is also home to more immigrants than ever before.
Churches and Charity in the Immigrant City focuses on the intersection of religion and civic engagement among Miami's immigrant and minority groups. The contributors examine the role of religious organizations in developing social relationships and how these relationships affect the broader civic world. Essays, for example, consider the role of leadership in the promotion and creation of andquot;civic social capitalandquot; in a Haitian Catholic church, transnational ties between Cuban Catholics in Miami and Havana, and several African American congregations that serve as key comparisons of civic engagement among minorities.
This book is important not only for its theoretical contributions to the sociology of religion, but also because it gives us a unique glimpse into immigrants' civic and religious lives in urban America.
Synopsis
In Shades of White Flight, sociologist Mark T. Mulder investigates a case of andldquo;white flightandrdquo; where seven church congregations from one denomination, the Christian Reformed Church, left Chicago en masse in the 1960s and 70s and relocated their churches in nearby suburbs. Using a wealth of both archival and interview data, Mulder examines the migration of these Chicago church members, revealing how their churches not only failed to inhibit white flight, but actually facilitated the congregationsandrsquo; departure.and#160;
About the Author
ALEX STEPICK is A professor of anthropology and sociology at Florida International University.
TERRY REY is an associate professor and chair of religion at Temple University.
SARAH J. MAHLERand#160; is an associate professor of sociology and anthropology and the director of the Center for Transnational and Comparative Studies at Florida International University.