Ecologies of Faith in New York City

“A great resource for students in congregational, religious, and urban studies . . . a valuable installment in the resurrection of urban religious ecology.”—Omar McRoberts, University of Chicago

Ecologies of Faith in New York City examines patterns of interreligious cooperation and conflict in New York City. It explores how representative congregations in this religiously diverse city interact with their surroundings by competing for members, seeking out niches, or cooperating via coalitions and neighborhood organizations. Based on in-depth research in New York’s ethnically mixed and rapidly changing neighborhoods, the essays in the volume describe how religious institutions shape and are shaped by their environments, what new roles they have assumed, and how they relate to other religious groups in the community.

“The book deals with important issues in important ways. New York City is a veritable center of the phenomena being studied.” —Jay Demerath, University of Massachusetts

“A valuable contribution to the growing field of congregational studies that places congregations and their agency on the table as one important element to understanding the changing American metropolis.” —Journal of Urban Affairs

“An excellent example of religious scholarship.” —Review of Religious Research

“Offers nine essays focusing on religious institutions of New York City as they have been impacted by the social dynamics of gentrification, immigration, and entrepreneurial innovation . . . Recommended.” ?Choice

“A solid resource for addressing entanglements of religion and urbanism. The case studies have significant richness.” —Critical Research on Religion

“A well-developed collection of essays that does an effective job of exploring the breadth of the ecological interaction between religious institutions and their environments in New York City.” ?Sociology of Religion