Churches and the Urban Poor: Interaction and Social Distance

Smith, R. Drew

doi:10.2307/3712352

Cited by 33 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Further research suggests that suburban commuter congregations do not provide many social services to the broader community (Sinha, Hillier, Cnaan, & McGrew, 2007). These findings echo other ethnographic studies of low-income neighborhoods that conclude the churches in them are mainly commuter congregations that principally serve their own members (Laudarji & Livezey, 2000; Smith, 2001).…”

Section: Literature Reviewsupporting

confidence: 85%

Obstacles and Options to Faith-Based HIV Service Delivery to Low-Income Inner City Residents

Davis

Forge

Adams

et al. 2014

Journal of Black Studies

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The growing presence of HIV in urban communities with sizable Black commuter congregations demands that social service providers understand niche opportunities for faith-based HIV service delivery. Focus groups were conducted with 16 clergy serving commuter congregations about the feasibility of faith-based HIV service delivery to low-income residents. Using thematic analysis, four major themes emerged: (a) Clergy see the need, but are not sure how to proceed; (b) prioritized sin; (c) push-back; and (d) niche ministries. These findings contribute new knowledge to our understanding of how Black churches with commuter congregations can respond to HIV service needs of low-income residents. Findings from this study suggest that commuter congregations are less likely to support HIV-related activities. Implications for future interventions are discussed.

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Section: Literature Reviewsupporting

confidence: 85%

Obstacles and Options to Faith-Based HIV Service Delivery to Low-Income Inner City Residents

Davis

Forge

Adams

et al. 2014

Journal of Black Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Moreover, their congregations do not provide much in the way of social services to the broader community. These findings echo other ethnographic studies of low-income neighborhoods that conclude the churches in them are mainly commuter congregations that principally serve their own members (Laudarji and Livezey 2000;Smith 2001).…”

supporting

confidence: 86%

Book Review: Streets of Glory: Church and Community in a Black Urban Neighborhood

Owens

2005

Urban Affairs Review

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God dwells in the ghetto, or at least that is where one finds many of the Almighty's temples. The National Congregations Study reports that 19% of congregations (regardless of denomination) located in the cities of the United States are concentrated in high-poverty neighborhoods (Chaves 1998). Anyone who walks or drives through poor neighborhoods can testify to their omnipresence. In particular, Christian congregations are ubiquitous and varied. Whereas some gather to pray in the parlors of formerly grand houses, others speak in tongues beneath steeples and behind stained glass in churches. Many sing songs of Zion behind the security gates of storefronts, and others worship Jesus together in defunct sanctuaries of urban Judaism, with both types of spaces standing as testaments to white and Jewish flight, economic decline, physical reuse, and religious enterprise.Growing numbers of policy makers believe that the congregations located in poor neighborhoods possess resources and capacity to redeem their residents. They talk of religion and a "faith factor" as solutions to poverty. They advocate using tax revenue to implement "faith-based" initiatives to save the inner cities. Clergy make broad claims that buttress the rhetoric and behavior of policy makers. "With proximity to the problems," according to Jim Wallis (2000, 149) of the progressive Christian group Call to Renewal, "churches can work from the bottom up, redeeming kids one by one, claiming whole blocks and neighborhoods for transformation." If so, the presence of churches in poor neighborhoods should be beneficial to the nation. Sociologist Omar McRoberts, however, has authored a book, his first, that may temper the faith of those looking to churches to save the urban impoverished.Social science, as McRoberts argues correctly, "has yet to pay sufficient attention to the countless religious congregations that literally line the streets of even the poorest urban areas" (p. 4). Scholars have neglected careful study of the presence and consequences of Christian congregations in poor places. Thus, we are left with at least three puzzles: why are so many congregations located in poor neighborhoods? What BOOK REVIEWS 109

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“…In contrast, many single mothers may find it difficult to attend religious services. Raising a child is time consuming, and single mothers may face challenges to attending religious services, such as transportation to church and inflexible work schedules (Smith, 2001; Sullivan, 2008). As a result, some single mothers may decrease their participation or attend religious services infrequently.…”

Section: Trajectories Of Religious Participation Among Single Mothersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Single Mothers' Religious Participation and Early Childhood Behavior

Petts

2012

J of Marriage and Family

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Using data on 1,134 single mothers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examined trajectories of religious participation among single mothers and whether these trajectories were associated with early childhood behavior. The results suggested that single mothers experienced diverse patterns of religious participation throughout their child's early life; some mothers maintained a consistent pattern of religious participation (or nonparticipation), and other mothers increased their participation. The results also suggested that religious participation was associated with greater involvement with children, reduced parenting stress, and a lower likelihood of engaging in corporal punishment. Young children raised by mothers who frequently attended religious services were less likely to display problem behaviors, and this relationship was partially mediated by increased child involvement, lower stress, and less frequent corporal punishment. Overall, religious participation may provide resources for single mothers that encourage them to engage in parenting practices that promote positive child development.

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Churches and the Urban Poor: Interaction and Social Distance

Cited by 33 publications

References 16 publications

Obstacles and Options to Faith-Based HIV Service Delivery to Low-Income Inner City Residents

Obstacles and Options to Faith-Based HIV Service Delivery to Low-Income Inner City Residents

Book Review: Streets of Glory: Church and Community in a Black Urban Neighborhood

Single Mothers' Religious Participation and Early Childhood Behavior

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