The Changing Role of Clergy vol. 5, no. 2 (3/2001) PDF
Trends in American culture are producing significant changes in the clergy. Many feel put in the position of managing a small business, rather than a being pastor. At the same time, schools of theology labor under the suspicion that they no longer attract the best and brightest students. The public realm has grown increasingly secular, and clergy no longer command the respect and authority they once did, neither as public figures nor as the leaders of their flocks. The average age of clergy is climbing, as is the age at which new candidates for the ministry are entering seminary. Training clergy within congregations is a growing trend, while charitable foundations pour considerable resources into attracting young people to the clergy.
Immigrant and Ethnic Congregations vol. 5, no. 1 (1/2001) PDF
For generations, newly arrived settlers to Indianapolis have maintained their sense of community by reestablishing here the culture and religion of their homelands. In recent years, the city has received numerous immigrants from Asia, bringing religions unfamiliar to the American heartland—Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Numerous congregations in the city, Catholic and Protestant, now offer religious services in Spanish. Once, Indianapolis leaders chose to emphasize the city’s “all-American” character. Today, ethnic and religious diversity are recognized as elements that enrich the Indianapolis community. This issue includes an interview with Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary general of the Islamic Society of North America.
Congregations and Charitable Choice vol. 4, no. 5 (9/2000)
The Charitable Choice Provision of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 enabled congregations to compete for federal dollars as providers of social services. For all the press that Charitable Choice has received, surveys show that few people in congregations are familiar with its provisions. Participation in Charitable Choice programs has been low so far, though this may change with the renewed emphasis on faith-based providers being promoted by the new administration in Washington. An article on the Front Porch Alliance examines a local effort to form partnerships between government and faith-based organizations. Another article, on the history of religion and social welfare in Indianapolis, argues that faith-based organizations have long played a primary role in creating local institutions to care for those in need.
Congregations and Economic Development vol. 4, no. 4 (6/2000)
Congregations have become an agent for economic growth, particularly in inner-city neighborhoods. More than 20 percent of Indianapolis congregations are involved in programs to provide long-term benefits to residents, including providing job-training and health services. In economic terms, the most important of these effort involves congregations directly engaged in developing housing for low-income residents. “Fresh Currents” looks at congregations that operate neighborhood businesses as a service to residents. “Congregations a Communities” examines the trend among larger congregations to become “full-service” communities for their members, providing not just religious services but recreation and other facilities.
Faith Based Youth Outreach Programs vol. 4, no. 3 (4/2000)
to come
Race and Religion in Indianapolis vol. 4, no. 2 (6/1999)
At about 22 percent, Indianapolis has a typical proportion of African-Americans for a city of its size. The city has been and continues to be composed primarily of a white majority and a significant black minority. Given the city’s history of formal segregation and Ku Klux Klan activity, racial differences are cast in rather stark relief—in religion as in other matters. In response to a Polis Center survey, Indianapolis pastors most often identified racism as the civic problem the religious community needed to confront. Most faiths promote the equality and fraternity of all believers, yet in practice religious congregations are among the most segregated of institutions. An article in this issue examines the history of the Pentecostal movement and race. Another looks at Celebration of Hope, a local effort at interfaith worship.
In Search of Belonging: The Hispanic Religious Presence in Indianapolis vol. 4, no. 1 (9/1998)
to come
Windows on Culture vol. 3, no. 3 (4/1998)
tocome
Place and Identity vol. 3, no. 2 (9/1997)
to come
Complex Relationships vol. 3, no. 1 (4/1997)
to come
Religion and Social Capital vol. 2, no. 2 (9/1996)
to come
Creating Community vol. 2, no. 1 (4/1996)
to come
Public Teaching and Public Learning vol. 1, no. 2 (9/1995)
to come
