Year: 1987
Type: article
Abstract: It is widely recognized that religion and ethnicity are closely related phenomena in North America. In fact, the story of religion in the New World has been largely shaped by patterns of immigration and the establishment of various ethnic traditions (Herberg 1960, p. 10). In spite of the prominence of ethnic churches on the religious landscape of North America, it is a type of religious organization that has been largely ignored by sociologists over the past several decades. Preoccupation with the nature of Protestant sectarianism, new religious movements, and secularization has probably led to this neglect of an area equally important in the sociology of religion. Recent trends in immigration indicate that in the foreseeable future this social form of religion is likely to retain its prominence in both the United States and Canada. The purpose of this paper is to redirect attention to this often overlooked field of research. After briefly reviewing theoretical perspectives on religion and ethnicity, this paper elaborates an ideal-typical model of ethnic church development. Specifically, the present study outlines the life-cycle stages of ethnic churches, identifies the key organizational dilemmas encountered at each stage, and discusses the central factors which shape the future of ethnic churches as they deal with the problems generated by advanced assimilation.
Author: Mark R Mullins
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2189169389