Religion in America is part of an ever-shifting landscape. Review these resources on cultural trends and demography, ecumenical and interfaith efforts, denominations and other interest groups.

RELIGION IN AMERICA

American Congregations, Volumes I & II (Book)
James P. Wind, James W. Lewis, Editors.  Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1994.
The twelve unique congregations reviewed in this collection illustrate the diversity of American congregational traditions and their impact on American culture.

The Churching of America 1776-2005: Winners and Losers in Our Religious Economy (Book)
Roger Finke, Rodney Stark, Authors.  New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008.
Roger Finke and Rodney Stark use membership and census data gathered throughout American history to describe the growth and decline of mainline churches since the formation of the country.

Congregations in America (Book)
Mark Chaves, Author.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004.
Drawing on the comprehensive 1998 National Congregations Study (NCS), sociologist Mark Chaves offers challenging conclusions on how American congregations do "social services, civic engagement and politics, worship and the arts."

Congregations in Transition: A Guide for Analyzing, Assessing, and Adapting in Changing Communities (Book)
Carl S. Dudley, Nancy T. Ammerman, Authors.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2002.
Carl Dudley and Nancy Ammerman worked intensively with some twenty congregations to ground this workbook in the real changes and challenges of congregational life.

The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religion (Book)
Stephen L. Carter, Author.  Anchor Books, 1993.
Concerned about the status of religion in America, Stephen Carter argues for taking religion seriously in the public arena—particularly because millions of Americans insist that religion is for them of first importance.

A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations: Who's Going Where and Why (Book)
Cynthia Woolever, Deborah Bruce, Authors.  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.
"Facts matter," the authors write in this guide, an accessibly written and designed overview of congregations, who attends them, and what they do in the community.

A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" Has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation (Book)
Diana L. Eck, Author.  San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001.
A New Religious American can help congregations understand the new religious pluralism in the United States as well as the basic tenets of principal faiths outside of Judaism and Christianity.

Resources for American Christianity: Information and Reflection on Selected Projects Funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. (Web Resource)
Lilly Endowment Inc.
Information about projects funded by the Religion Division of Lilly Endowment Inc. have been collected into a searchable database accessible from this web site.

U.S. Religious Landscape Survey 2008 (Web Resource)
Washington, DC: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life
This report explores the religious composition of the U.S., changes in affiliation, and affiliation reviewed by demographics. The report is available as a PDF download or online, with interactive data: affiliations, maps, portraits, and comparisons.

All in Sync: How Music and Art are Revitalizing American Religion (Book)
Robert Wuthnow, Author.  Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003.
While serving as more of an analytical resource than a practical one, this book nonetheless may help congregational leaders discern ways in which the arts can further enhance the lives of their congregation and its members.

Facing Terrorism: Responding As Christians (Book)
Edward LeRoy Long Jr., Author.  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
Edward Long offers a concise, yet insightful, discussion of terrorism and how Christians might respond. He emphasizes properly dealing with diversity and differences, as well as the necessity of forgiveness and using power as a servant leader.

The Future of Christian Faith in America (Book)
David Yount, Author.  Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Books, 2004.
In this survey of Christian faith in the U.S. today, David Yount covers a wide range of issues, from the devastating consequences of the decline in faith observance to Christianity's continued influence in many areas of public life.

God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It (Book)
Jim Wallis, Author.  San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005.
Jim Wallis, founder and editor of Sojourners magazine, has written a useful book for pastors and who are concerned about social justice and religious-political dialogue in the United States.

Handbook for Congregational Studies (Web Resource)
Hartford Institute for Religious Research
The Hartford Institute for Religious Research has provided free a resource that demonstrates how to use academic and scholarly tools to understand congregations.

Louisville Institute (Organization)
The Louisville Institute, based at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, is a Lilly Endowment program for the advancement of American religion.

Mainline to the Future: Congregations for the 21st Century (Book)
Jackson W. Carroll, Author.  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000.
This book’s central concern is the rebuilding of local mainline Protestant congregations through an honest but constructively critical assessment of innovative, seeker friendly, posttraditional churches.

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (Organization)
With 36 Protestant, Anglican, and Orthodox denominations across the country, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCCC) promotes Christian ecumenical communication and cooperation.

Spirit and Flesh: Life in a Fundamentalist Baptist Church (Book)
James M Ault Jr., Author.  New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004.
Sociologist James Ault steps into the life of a fundamentalist Baptist congregation as he studies neo-conservatism in America. Stories of church members illustrate the roots, influences and practices of fundamentalist Christianity.

Studying Congregations: A New Handbook (Book)
Nancy T. Ammerman, Jackson W. Carroll, Carl S. Dudley, William McKinney, Editors.  Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998.
This essay collection from scholars and leaders of congregational life provides basic tools and fresh perspectives for studying congregations. It guides readers in understanding the theology, values, and practices of congregations.