A Particular Place: Urban Restructuring and Religious Ecology in a Southern Exurb (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780813527383)

A Particular Place tells the story of the dramatic changes that take place in the religious lives of a community faced with urban restructuring--in this case, Dacula, Georgia, a once-quiet small town on the outskirts of Atlanta. The demographics of Dacula were changed dramatically by the population inflow, service sector development, and housing expansion brought on by the growing metropolis.

Nancy L. Eiesland provides a qualitative study of how the local religious congregations altered themselves, their relations with one another, and--over time--their community in light of this disruption to their social order. Eiesland accounts for these changes by examining the lives of area newcomers and long-time residents, discussing the responses of locals to the emergence of a megachurch in their community, investigating the wrenching processes of congregational birth and deaths, and studying responses to community conflicts.

Applying population ecology approaches to the study of religious organizations within their local contexts, A Particular Place addresses together two types of restructuring that are often mutually implicated--urban and religious restructuring. This book demonstrates all that can be learned from studious attention to a particular place.

Author: Nancy L. Eiesland
ISBN-10: 0813527384
ISBN-13: 9780813527383
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Language: English
Published: 12/01/1999
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.96lbs
Size: 9.02h x 6.26w x 0.93d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 10/01/2000 pg. 346
Christian Century 06/27/2001 pg. 20