Understanding an Outlier: How Parish Culture Matters in a Highly Participatory Catholic Church
This ethnographic case study examines parish and civic participation at an empowerment-focused, highly participatory, predominantly Hispanic Roman Catholic Church in the Lower East Side of New York City. After finding that American Catholics participate less in congregational life and in varied area...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage Publications
2008
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 2008, Volume: 49, Issue: 4, Pages: 438-455 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This ethnographic case study examines parish and civic participation at an empowerment-focused, highly participatory, predominantly Hispanic Roman Catholic Church in the Lower East Side of New York City. After finding that American Catholics participate less in congregational life and in varied areas of public service than members of other religious groups, scholars have offered hypotheses as to how denominational culture and standard parish practices may discourage the participation of individuals. Other scholars argue that congregations' differing participation in public life depends significantly on their internal cultures. Findings of this study bridge the conclusions of these sets of scholarship. Ethnographic data from St. Mary's supports the theory that exercise of civic skills within congregations affects members' civic participation elsewhere, yet this data also shows how meanings and practices of parish culture, not just denominational culture, affect individuals' civic participation integrally. At St. Mary's, parish culture shapes the parish's public action, but also shapes the civic value of individual participation within the parish. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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