In this book, scholars and church and synagogue leaders examine religious affiliation in contemporary America. Their essays explore the dynamics of congregational affiliation: the motivations which impel people to join a congregation, drop out or remain unaffiliated; the practices within churches and synagogues which attract or repel membership; and the ways in which contextual religious, social, and cultural factors influence patterns of congregational affiliation. The book is principally concerned with churches and synagogues in the more liberal denominations of Christianity and Judaism, those where the greatest membership losses are occurring.Over the past few decades membership in mainline churches in the United States has declined, with some groups losing more than 20 percent of their membership. Similarly, four decades ago, 60 percent of all American Jews were religiously affiliated; today that number is below 40 percent. This book seeks not only to explain the reasons for declines in affiliation, but also to propose approaches that may combat the decline and showcase studies of congregations that have succeeded in holding their memberships. This work will be of great interest to scholars of religion in America as well as clerics, rabbis, and others actively involved in congregational life.

Church and Synagogue Affiliation: Theory, Research, and Practice (Contributions to the Study of Religion)

Religion & Spirituality

Tobin, Gary A.

Sales, Amy L.

Christian Books & Bibles

Praeger

<p>In the summer of 2000, social psychologists Amy L. Sales and Leonard Saxe, along with a team of colleagues, spent several days at each of twenty Jewish summer camps located throughout the United States. They spoke to camp directors, counselors, and other staff members, and they closely observed daily life, including mealtimes, special activities, and Sabbath rituals. The result of their investigation is this enlightening book. In addition to the rich ethnographic material gleaned from their participant-observation field study, the authors offer a national census of Jewish residential camps, organizational analyzes of camps, and social psychological surveys of the attitudes and motivations of the young adults who work at camps. "How Goodly Are Thy Tents" provides a vivid snapshot of the world of Jewish summer camps. Jewish camps are often divided into two classes, those that are considered "educational camps" and others that are presumably non-educational. However, the authors believe that every Jewish camp has the potential to socialize Jewish children and young adults into k’lal Yisrael (the Jewish people). After documenting how the camp environment and the relationships formed at camp lead to social learning, the authors show how camp envelops campers and staff in a Jewish environment, exposes them to Jewish leaders and role models, and often teaches them Jewish history and Torah. Camps, they conclude, are extraordinary environments for the Jewish socialization of children. Their analysis begins with an overview of Jewish residential camps. Drawing on their national census of such camps and on their field research, they present data on the range of experiences available and on the number of Jewish children and adults who partake of these experiences. They present an insider’s look at the camps, with descriptions of the characteristics of residential camps that can make them powerful socializing environments; analysis of the varieties of formal and informal Jewish education found at camp; and insight into the religious practices, Jewish space and symbolism that abound at camp. They also present data from the perspective of the professional staff and discuss the potentially far-reaching impact on emerging adults of a summer at a Jewish residential camp. Sales and Saxe conclude by considering ways in which the field of Jewish summer camping might evolve in order to become a model of and inspiration for Jewish education and community writ large. Written for social scientists, educators, community professionals and lay leaders concerned with informal education, camping, children, ethnicity, and religion, this book will be of special interest to those interested in how culture and traditions are passed on to the next generation.</p>

“How Goodly Are Thy Tents”: Summer Camps as Jewish Socializing Experiences (Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture and Life)

History

Saxe, Leonard

World

Brandeis University Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Sales, Amy L.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Sales, Amy L.