Urban Outfitters

This chapter discusses in more detail the extent to which the congregational culture at Downtown Church is predicated on a sense of fashion and connects with those who are comfortable with cultural consumption. The core of Downtown Church is a “matrix of authenticity” triangulated by middle-class consumption of city spaces, urban nightlife and entertainment, and the visible presence of racial and ethnic minorities thought to characterize the diversity that marks a city. The emphasis on a particular type of congregant, and the image of what makes a church authentically urban, combine to form a “designer church.” The gendered nature of many of these expectations is clear and appears in several church-sponsored events. Another example of this aspect of the congregation’s culture is a dress code for those involved in being a public presence for the church (such as the greeters); the code itself is not focused on modesty or more conservative notions of propriety, but rather emphasizes contemporary fashion.

Gender and Congregational Culture

Chapter 8 draws these themes together by reflecting on gender, congregational culture, and the persistence of religion in the contemporary United States. We highlight how our analysis demonstrates that denomination, or broad historic tradition, continues to be embodied in the buildings and programs as well as specific teachings and ethos of congregations. For both women and men, connecting to congregations offers a venue in which to experience additional dimensions of personhood that are broader than current cultural gender scripts. The fact that these themes appear in congregations located at very different points across the religious field underscores the salience of formal religious affiliation in the formation of adult personhood.

Buildings

Chapter 2 explores the ways in which local congregations embody and reflect particular sets of religious goods—whether a distinctive sense of history, structure of worship services, or basic beliefs. The embodiment of faith traditions in structures, programs, and clergy goals for congregational life suggest that although denomination itself may be declining as a marker of religious identity, the subcultural distinctives that are the foundations of that identity are more enduring. They present themselves as threads of belief, practice, and a sense of community, embodied and reflected in the buildings themselves, that are the “stuff” of congregational culture.

Giving

Chapter 6 takes up a second dimension of congregational culture—giving—and assesses the ways in which joining shapes men’s and women’s involvement both within and beyond their individual congregations. We begin with a review of what clergy would like to see happening within their congregations and move on to explore narratives of involvement, volunteering, and ideas about the articulation of faith to politics and social change. In each of these domains, we assess gender overlap and diversity in giving—whether financially or as volunteers within these congregations’ programs of service, or in broader political and social involvement.

Are Congregations Texts?

It is a common sentiment among homileticians that preaching requires exegeting both the scriptural text and the congregational context. The relevancy of the preaching message, it is argued, depends in part upon a deep knowledge of the congregational culture. The preacher is therefore encouraged to “read” the culture of the congregation and discern how the symbols, practices, and actions of the congregation are used to make meaning so that the preacher might construct a fitting sermon. In this way, the congregation is likened to a text that awaits a reading by a literate observer. In this paper, I examine the limitations of such an analogy arguing that while a semiotic approach to congregations has merit it is often blind to the ways in which power and production influence the creation and reproduction of the congregational culture. Finally, the paper concludes with descriptions from recent homiletical works that offer productive alternatives to the semiotic approach to congregational study.