God in Gotham

Name: God in Gotham
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SKU: 9780674292215
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The Miracle of Religion in Modern Manhattan

By Jon Butler

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Summary

God in Gotham by Jon Butler explores the fascinating interplay between religion and urban life in New York City during the tumultuous period of 1880 to 1960. The book delves into how various religious groups adapted and thrived amidst the city's rapid socio-cultural changes, challenging the notion that urbanisation led to secularisation. It highlights the active role of religion in shaping New York's identity and demonstrates the city's ability to retain its spiritual vibrancy.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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God in Gotham

$40⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might appreciate this insightful exploration if you're intrigued by how religion flourished in New York City during a transformative era. It delves into the dynamic interplay between faith, culture, and urban development, offering a nuanced perspective on the persistence of religious life amidst modernity's challenges. If you're drawn to understanding the historical resilience and adaptation of religious institutions within a bustling metropolitan setting, this narrative will engage and enlighten you.

Perhaps nothing has ever been so frightening to people of faith as “the modern.” Pluralistic and rationalizing, modernity would seem the antithesis of traditional religious practice. But as historian Jon Butler shows, even Manhattan, the supposed capital of American secularism, has consistently proven a place steeped in devotion.

Description

"Are you there, God? It's me, Manhattan. Butler argues that far from being a Sodom on the Hudson, New York was a centre of religious dynamism throughout the 20th century." - Wall Street Journal

"What a pleasure it is to take a tour of Manhattan's sacred past led by one of the nation's preeminent religious historians." - Christianity Today

"A masterwork by a master historian God in Gotham should be an instant classic." - Jonathan D. Sarna, author of American Judaism

In Gilded Age Manhattan, religious leaders agonised over the fate of traditional faith practice amid chaotic and sometimes terrifying change. Massive immigration, urban anonymity, and the bureaucratisation of modern life tore at the binding fibres of religious community.

Yet fears of the demise of religion were dramatically overblown. Jon Butler finds a spiritual hothouse in the supposed capital of American secularism as Catholics, Jews, and Protestants peppered the borough with sanctuaries. A centre of religious publishing and broadcasting, by the 1950s it was home to Reinhold Niebuhr, Abraham Heschel, Dorothy Day, and Norman Vincent Peale. While white spiritual seekers sometimes met in midtown hotels, black worshippers gathered in Harlem's storefront churches. Though denied the ministry almost everywhere, women shaped congregations, founded missionary societies, and fused spirituality and political activism. God in Gotham portrays a city where people of faith embraced modernity and thrived.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Jon Butler's God in Gotham is acclaimed for depicting New York City as a vibrant centre of religious activity rather than a secular modernity. The reviews praise Butler's insightful analysis of how religious communities thrived by engaging with modernity rather than being overshadowed by it. The book highlights the dynamic interplay between diverse faiths and the urban environment, reshaping traditional views on religion's role in Manhattan's cultural and historical landscape. Scholars and critics commend its elegant writing and nuanced examination of how religion and modern identity coexisted and evolved in a bustling metropolis.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674292215

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 March 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Illustration: 42 photos

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 476g

Pages: 320

Collections

American & Canadian History History & Archaeology History & Military Jon Butler Non-Fiction Religion & Spirituality

About the Author

Jon Butler is Howard R. Lamar Emeritus Professor of American Studies, History, and Religious Studies at Yale University and Research Professor of History at the University of Minnesota. His books include the Los Angeles Times bestseller Becoming America and the prizewinning Awash in a Sea of Faith and The Huguenots in America. He is a past president of the Organization of American Historians.