Trusting the Spirit: Renewal and Reform in American Religion [Paperback]

Richard Cimino (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787951609 | ISBN-13: 978-0787951603 | Publication Date: January 31, 2001 | Edition: 1

Can renewal and reform groups rekindle spiritual vitality and fervor in today's religious institutions?

The call to revive one's faith fills more pages of the Christian and Jewish scriptures than any other theme. Today, reform and renewal organizations and movements play a key role in most denominations, whether conservative, moderate, or liberal.

In this fascinating book, Richard Cimino provides you with an in-depth look at six vibrant reform and renewal movements that are revitalizing traditional faith communities from the inside out. Cimino walks you through how all the components of renewal and reform--the organization, the larger denomination, the congregation, and the individual members--interact at both local and national levels, and answers the question of how effective these organizations and movements are within their traditions. Filled with interviews and case studies, Trusting the Spiriy concludes by outlining strategies for renewal and reform that can be put into practice in a wide range of religious contexts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"I'm not religious, but I'm very spiritual." This phrase might be said to summarize Americans' self-defined sacred awareness at the cusp of the millennium. In this insightful ethnography, religion journalist Cimino (Shopping for Faith) explores some of the Christian and Jewish organizations that have sprung up to replace traditional religion particularly Taiz‚, the Havurah movement, Biblical Witness Fellowship and charismatic groups such as Life in the Spirit. Cimino does a fine job of explaining how groups that seem as fundamentally different as charismatic Catholics and Jewish "Aquarian Minyans" are actually responding to the same cultural situations in remarkably similar ways. All, he says, reflect "the consumerist and decentralized nature of American religion," privileging personal experience and individual choice. Many Catholics, for example, now actively "shop" for a parish instead of automatically attending the closest one; Havurah participants enjoy the responsibility of creating new liturgies and rituals for ancient Jewish holidays. Some readers may quibble that Cimino's journalistic approach results in scattered observations about too many diverse groups (as Cimino himself admits, entire books should be written about each of these movements). But it is precisely that breadth that suggests a new force in American religion, one that transcends traditional religious identities. In demonstrating how spiritual practice has replaced congregational membership as the mark of the age, Cimino engagingly fleshes out theories already put forth by Robert Wuthnow, Wade Clark Roof, Donald Miller and others.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Presenting six case studies, Cimino (editor, Religion Watch) examines the progress of organizations pursuing religious renewal, focusing chiefly on Christian groups in the United States (though American Jewish renewal also receives attention in chapter six). Two of the groups studied are associated with Roman Catholicism, while the others are related to the United Christian Church, Lutheran traditions, and the Taize community, which draws on liturgical and Eastern Orthodox traditions. Combining a journalistic approach with his theological training, the author offers numerous anecdotal glimpses of what earned the trust of individual members and how outsiders view each group. Practical concerns instead of doctrinal evaluations dominate the discussion. Cimino identifies such keys to successful renewal as building partnerships with a variety of groups and educating younger generations. The valuable appendix lists organizations, annotated with brief historical summaries and contact information. Cimino's work supplements David Keith Adams's Religious and Secular Reform in America (New York Univ., 1999). Recommended for specialized religion collections. Marianne Orme, West Lafayette, IN
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (January 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787951609
• ISBN-13: 978-0787951603
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,600,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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