This volume provides an unprecedented portrait of American life and relgiion at its grass roots. Readers are invited to explore the hostory and culture of the congregation, a distinctively American type of religious structure which is often overlooked in traditional studies of American religion. This ground-breaking work chronicles the founding growth, and development of twelve congregations that represent the diverse and complex reality of local religious cultures in America. Some, like Center Church in New Haven, Connecticut, trace their stories back to colonial times. Others, like the Swaminarayan Hindu temple in suburban Chicago, are recent attempts to create local religious worlds. Ranging from congregations of Lebanese Muslims in Northern Canada to Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, the essays convey the distinctive character of each congregation and provide vivid evidence of the importance of congregations in daily life.
