A particular place : urban restructuring and religious ecology in a southern exurb PDF
Preview A particular place : urban restructuring and religious ecology in a southern exurb
Page iii A Particular Place Urban Restructuring and Religious Ecology in a Southern Exurb Nancy L. Eiesland Page iv Figure 1.1 Map of Atlanta Metropolitan Area, used by permission of the Atlanta Regional Council, 1999. Gwinnett Daily Post, "Just one more . . . thing we don't need," published January 29, 1994, in the Gwinnett Post Tribune, used by permission. Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data Eiesland, Nancy L., 1964 A particular place : urban restructuring and religious ecology in a southern exurb / Nancy L. Eiesland. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0813527376 (alk. paper). — ISBN 0813527384 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Dacula (Ga.)—Religious life and customs. 2. Ethnology— Georgia—Dacula. 3. Ethnology—Religious aspects. I. Title. BL2527.G4E35 2000 306.6'09758'223—dc21 9915069 CIP British CataloginginPublication data for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2000 by Nancy L. Eiesland All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Please contact Rutgers University Press, 100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 088548099. The only exception to this prohibition is "fair use" as defined by U.S. copyright law. Manufactured in the United States of America Page v For Terry, who believed in me and this book Page vii Contents Tables and Figures ix Preface xi Chapter 1 1 Changing Places: Urban and Religious Restructuring Chapter 2 22 "The Way It Looks from Here": Dacula, Georgia Chapter 3 46 A Place to Be Religious: Organizing Ecological Change Chapter 4 87 New Neighbors: A Congregation in Transition Chapter 5 134 Making Faith: Navigating within a Religious Ecology Chapter 6 174 Fighting the Good Fight: An Ecological Perspective on Local Conflict Chapter 7 198 Concluding Remarks Appendix 211 Notes 215 Bibliography 233 Index 245 Page ix Tables and Figures Tables 2.1 33 Population Growth in Northeast Gwinnett County, Georgia, 1980–1990 4.1 92 A Comparison of Oldtimers and Newcomers Figures 1.1 4 Map of Atlanta Metropolitan Area 2.1 32 Census of Black Population in Gwinnett County, 1820–1990 2.2 35 Map of Golden Wishbone 4.1 90 Age of Hinton Members, 1993 4.2 91 Hinton Members' Length of Community Residence, 1993 5.1 156 Routines of Belonging for Vernon and Marie England 5.2 170 Routines of Belonging for Todd and Faith Penner Page xi Preface I write because I am a reader. I want to give others what writers have given me, a chance to hear the voices of people I will never meet. —Pat Mora, Nepantla For those who believe that ethnography is a process of both data gathering and theory building, reading is nearly as important as fieldwork. In reading the work of other ethnographers, theorists, historians, and poets, we recognize the complicated tales people tell about their lives and the many social factors that shape their accounts. This recognition, in turn, prompts us to be circumspect in our telling of tales and cautious in articulating theories—aware always that we relate an unfinished story. I am indebted both personally and professionally to the many scholars who have engaged in the disciplined study of religious people and groups and the artful construction narratives. In this book, I tell a tale of the dramatic changes that have been occurring in Dacula, Georgia—a particular place with a particular history. I argue that the changes in this exurb provide a way of thinking about two important types of restructuring that have been mutually implicated but seldom addressed together: urban restructuring and religious restructuring. In an exurb where the social order of a small town has been disrupted by population inflow, service sector development, and housing expansion, the careful observer can witness how congregations alter themselves, their relations with one another, and—over time—their community. These alterations in the religious ecology (that is, the patterns of relations, status, and interaction among religious organizations within a locality) and their effects on the place are certainly not Page xii the only aspects of the change in Dacula. But these changes were important to the local community and reveal some challenges that scholars of religion should explore as we give our accounts of American religious life. I recognize that my account is that of a disciplined social researcher who sometimes felt as close as kin and at other times as distant as a stranger among the people about whom I write. It is my sincerest hope that the people of Dacula, who have shared their stories with me through the years, will find in this tale, if not all the richness of their own narratives, at least a tangible familiarity, and the humility of one who realizes that the story continues to unfold. They have my deepest appreciation and love for their generosity of spirit and time. I began my fieldwork in exurbia as a research fellow for Nancy Ammerman's Congregations in Changing Communities Project—which resulted in her book Congregation and Community (1997a). The Congregations in Changing Communities Project was funded by the Lilly Endowment through the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture, Boston University. Nancy's flexibility in allowing me to find a research site that served our mutual interests was but one instance of her collaborative research style. As my dissertation director, Nancy exemplified the foremost qualities of a teacher and mentor: generosity, curiosity, and astuteness. The process of researching and writing sometimes overwhelmed me. I recall one afternoon, in particular, when I had signed up for Nancy's office hours. Nancy began our time together by asking me how she could help. The next moments were clouded by tears, as I related how tired I was of spending nearly every evening in the field, how I wasn't sure I was finding anything interesting in hours of committee meetings, and how most of all I was tired. Nancy passed the Kleenex and listened as I spewed out the complaints of a privileged life. Nancy neither clucked nor cajoled; she listened well and thoroughly and helped me renew my energy for the project. For how she offered me her support and clear thinking, I am deeply grateful. Other members of my dissertation committee have also contributed significantly to the project and to my ongoing work. They are Steven Tipton, Frank Lechner, Cathryn Johnson, and Pamela Couture. Page xiii Steve Tipton has continued to give me sage advice regarding my work as a colleague at Candler School of Theology. I have appreciated his encouragement during the revisions of this book. R. Stephen Warner has been vital to the transformation of the dissertation into a book. As a reviewer of the manuscript for publication, he gave both detailed and conceptual comments that significantly improved the work. As I was nearing the final draft in fall 1998, I was consulting with Steve at his kitchen table when a sudden Chicago storm blew in. The power went out, but Steve asked if I could still see and wanted to continue our work. I could and we did. Discerning and tenacious, Steve has proven to be both friend and teacher. Ethnography is timeconsuming, and groups that provide funding for the efforts of transcribing interviews, managing data, and generally working in the field are deeply appreciated. I express my deepest gratitude to the Louisville Institute from whom I received a dissertation fellowship. Other funding was provided by the Mellon Southern Studies Fellowship of Emory University, the Fichter Research Fund of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, and the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Emory University, where I began my research as a graduate student and where I have completed the book as a member of the faculty, has generously supported this work in tangible and intangible ways. Colleagues have offered comments on drafts and have provided encouragement as I made revisions. Thomas Frank, in particular, often renewed my energies with words of good will as I worked on revision amidst teaching. My editors at Rutgers have been both patient and stimulating as the book took somewhat longer than I expected to complete. Martha Heller and David Myers have offered insight and shown thoughtfulness that have been deeply appreciated. I once assumed (perhaps during the early days of graduate school) that when people spoke about "a community of scholars" they meant a club that required the equivalent of secret handshakes and code words to enter. While some would argue that this is indeed the case, I have discovered that the community of scholars is a much more accessible group; for me this community is shaped by many women and men whose Page xiv support has been crucial to the completion of this work. They include Penny Edgell Becker, Emily Brooker Langston, Arthur Farnsley, Shoshanah Feher, Gary Laderman, Michael McMullen, Barbara Patterson, Scott Thumma, and Sr. Mary Ann Zimmer. Shoshanah Feher read the entire manuscript and gave vital encouragement and support in the last stages. Other, more senior colleagues made the academic world a more inviting place through their gifts of time and assistance. Elizabeth Bounds, Lynn Davidman, Mary Jo Neitz, Nancy NasonClark, Helen Rose Ebaugh, William McKinney, Gail O'Day, Carol Newsom, and Barbara Wheeler provided both practical and professional assistance to me throughout this project. The students with whom I have had the privilege of working during the last years have also taught me much; and I am deeply grateful for the occasions when we have explored together things that matter. In particular, I am grateful for the community of scholars that formed in a graduate seminar on qualitative methods, who generated such energy—both theoretical and practical—that they helped me return to my work with deeper appreciation for the practices of discovery and narrating. In addition, I would like to mention Derek Olsen, who worked for several years as my research assistant, uncomplainingly copying articles, checking bibliographic sources, and doing countless other scintillating tasks that have supported my research and teaching. At one point during the fieldwork, a stalwart of one congregation at which I was a regular attender began asking persistently where my "better half" was. My husband Terry had accompanied me to several important events in the congregation's life. His charm put people at ease and allowed them to know more about my life than I sometimes was willing to divulge. All along the way, Terry was ready to assist in ways that improved both the research and writing. It is for these and countless other reasons that I dedicate this book to him. While many have given me good directions along the way, I am alone responsible for the roads I have taken as I have written this book.
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