Steeples and Stacks: Religion and Steel Crisis in Youngstown, Ohio (Cambridge Studies in Religion and American Public Life) [Hardcover]

Thomas G. Fuechtmann (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521334810 | ISBN-13: 978-0521334815 | Publication Date: September 29, 1989

Steeples and Stacks is an examination of the religion-based community group that formed in Youngstown, Ohio in 1977 in opposition to the proposed shutdown of a portion of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube's steel works, one of the most dramatic of the plant closings that have come to symbolize American deindustrialization. Church leaders and steel workers banded together to form a powerful ecumenical political coalition, established links with Washington lobbyists, and proposed to buy the plant and run it as a community industry. Though the proposal ultimately failed, the story of the coalition illuminates the growing interaction of religious and public affairs in American life and provides an analysis of the dynamics of intergovernmental, corporate and community relations at the local level. Fuechtmann, who became involved as a participant-observer in the coalition and is trained in both political science and theology, focuses on the process of coalition formation and the pivotal role of religious leaders that distinguished the Youngstown case from so many other plant closings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fuechtmann's book is a well-researched and very useful case study of an unusual response to what has become, more and more, a common problem in the industrial United States." Paul F. Clark, The Journal of American History

Book Description

Steeples and Stacks is a study of the religion-based community group that formed in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1977 in response to the proposed shutdown of a portion of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube's steelworks. The closing was one of the most dramatic of the plant closings that have come to symbolise American deindustrialisation.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 29, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521334810
• ISBN-13: 978-0521334815
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,680,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at a little known movement..., February 11, 2003

By 

A. Ort "aorto" (Youngstown, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Steeples and Stacks: Religion and Steel Crisis in Youngstown, Ohio (Cambridge Studies in Religion and American Public Life) (Hardcover)

I live in Youngstown and have only recently begn to dive into the city's past. It gained national, even world, recognition in the heyday of the steel industry as one of the largest manufacturers of steel in the world. It has now garnered a reputation as one of the most corrupt cities in the nation. Yet there is something good here, something strong. It simply doesn't get the press coverage.

Here is a book that discusses the movement called the Ecumenical Coalition where a group of religiously diverse groups came together to put their faith in action in the social arena. When the steel mills abandoned the people who gave their lives for the good of the company, this group sought to bring ethics and morals into the corporate world. For anyone who believes there is no place in the corporate world for faith, ethics or morals, all we have to do is run down the list of scandals over the past several years.

Here was a unique response to deindustrialization. Whereas many cities merely folded without much of a fight, Youngstown fought back. It may not have been victorious in preventing the shutdowns but it showed the world the heart of the city. It also revealed that ethics plays a part in running successful businesses. In this regard, it was successful.

This book was written by an individual whose father-in-law worked the mills and who was present for much of the movement. It really provides some interesting insights and details of a movement that was overshadowed by the destruction and havoc wrought when the mills left town.

I give it four stars as it is a bit dry. I was excited because I am from the area and the information was fascinating to me but it is not an exciting read. But it is well written and well documented and seems to me to be relevant today in a world where religion has taken a back seat and corporate (and individual) greed is on the rise.