Beyond The Congregation: The World of Christian Nonprofits - Softcover

Scheitle, Christopher P.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199733511 ISBN 13: 9780199733514

Publisher: Oxford University Press, U.S.A., 2010

Synopsis

Christianity in the United States has long been organized around congregations and denominations. However, a different type of organization operating outside of these traditional structures is claiming an increasingly important place in the religious market. The growth of Christian nonprofits, popularly called "parachurch" organizations, has been recognized by churchgoers and social scientists alike as an important development that is transforming the composition and dynamics of American Christianity. The size, resources, and activities of this population have made it the public face of American Christianity and altered the relationship between individuals, churches and denominations. Beyond the Congregation utilizes data on almost 2,000 of the largest and most influential Christian nonprofits in the United States to answer some of the key questions raised by these organizations. What explains the growth of Christian nonprofits? What activities are they pursuing? How are they funded and how do they use those funds? Beyond the Congregation provides a much needed examination of these issues that is accessible and informative for scholars, nonprofit executives, religious leaders and the general public.

About this title

Review

Beyond the Congregation is an informative, clear-eyed, and thoughtful overview of religious organizations that are neither churches nor denominations. Christopher Scheitle creatively uses information painstakingly gleaned from Internal Revenue Service forms to map the wide world of Christian nonprofits. If you are curious about where these organizations come from, what they do, or how they raise their money, this book is for you. (Mark Chaves, Professor of Sociology, Religion, and Divinity, Duke University)

Unprecedented. . . Scheitle presents a rich overview of Christian nonprofits and their role in the American religious landscape. . . . Scheitle's research is meticulous and thorough, yet his presentation is broadly accessible. . . . Scheitle navigates the complexities of the relationship between the parachurch sector and the state with skill and insight. The realm of Christian nonprofits is amorphous and difficult to penetrate. Sacrificing neither depth nor breadth, Scheitle has helped give shape to the chao? (Sociology of Religion)

About the Author

Christopher P. Scheitle received his Ph.D. in sociology from The Pennsylvania State University, where he is currently a Senior Research Associate.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press, U.S.A.
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0199733511
• ISBN 13: 9780199733514
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224