In the Christian churches, and in Protestantism in particular, the local gatherings of the faithful –parish and non-territorial free congregations – are of crucial importance. Viewed from a global perspective, they offer an extremely popular format and are growing, as for example in China and Latin America. In central and northern Europe, on the other hand, the Protestant parish and its congregation tend rather to be in decline. What is the current situation of church parishes and congregations? This book presents research into this topic from all over the world. China is among the countries represented, as are the United States (as the "motherland" of the autonomous congregation), Switzerland, Germany and Scandinavia. The researchers have identified and defined a number of different lines of development. Ecclesiastical sociologists, sociologists of religion, and indeed everybody who is interested in the future of Protestantism will find some new insights into an old topic here. [Internationale Studien zur Kirchgemeinde. Die Zukunft der Pfarrbezirke und der Autonomen Kirchgemeinden] In den christlichen Kirchen, besonders in den protestantischen, kommt den lokalen Gemeinden (congregations, parishes) eine zentrale Bedeutung zu. In globaler Perspektive gesehen sind sie ausgesprochen populär und wachsen z. B. in China und Lateinamerika. In Mittel- und Nordeuropa hingegen nimmt protestantisch-gemeindliches Leben eher ab. Wie stellt sich die Situation der Kirchgemeinde heute dar? In diesem Buch werden diesbezügliche Forschungen aus aller Welt vorgestellt. China ist ebenso vertreten wie die USA – das "Mutterland" der autonomen Kirchgemeinde –, die Schweiz, Deutschland und Skandinavien. Unterschiedliche Entwicklungswege werden herausgearbeitet. Religions- und Kirchensoziologen – und alle die an der Zukunft des Protestantismus interessiert sind – finden hier neue Einsichten in ein altes Thema! Autoren sind u. a. Nancy Ammerman, Mark Chaves, Eberhard Hauschildt und Jörg Stolz.

What does it mean for music to be considered local in contemporary Christian communities, and who shapes this meaning? Through what musical processes have religious beliefs and practices once ‘foreign’ become ‘indigenous’? How does using indigenous musical practices aid in the growth of local Christian religious practices and beliefs? How are musical constructions of the local intertwined with regional, national or transnational religious influences and cosmopolitanisms? Making Congregational Music Local in Christian Communities Worldwide explores the ways that congregational music-making is integral to how communities around the world understand what it means to be ‘local’ and ‘Christian’. Showing how locality is produced, negotiated, and performed through music-making, this book draws on case studies from every continent that integrate insights from anthropology, ethnomusicology, cultural geography, mission studies, and practical theology. Four sections explore a central aspect of the production of locality through congregational music-making, addressing the role of historical trends, cultural and political power, diverging values, and translocal influences in defining what it means to be ‘local’ and ‘Christian’. This book contends that examining musical processes of localization can lead scholars to new understandings of the meaning and power of Christian belief and practice.

The expanded, updated edition of a classic reference source--the comprehensive survey of the status of thje world's largest religion in 238 countries. Many tables, charts, diagrams, maps, photographs, and a rich text present a unmatched look at 33,800 Christian denominations, 12,000 dioceses, 5,000 missions, and other groups--all -set against a detailed historical, political, social, cultural, demographic, background.

In Collaborative Practical Theology, Henk de Roest documents and analyses research on Christian practices as it can be conducted by academic practical theologians in collaboration with practitioners of different kinds in Christian practices all around the world.

Contemporary worship music shapes the way evangelical Christians understand worship itself. Author Monique M. Ingalls argues that participatory worship music performances have brought into being new religious social constellations, or "modes of congregating". Through exploration of five of these modes--concert, conference, church, public, and networked congregations--Singing the Congregation reinvigorates the analytic categories of "congregation" and "congregational music." Drawing from theoretical models in ethnomusicology and congregational studies, Singing the Congregation reconceives the congregation as a fluid, contingent social constellation that is actively performed into being through communal practice--in this case, the musically-structured participatory activity known as "worship." "Congregational music-making" is thereby recast as a practice capable of weaving together a religious community both inside and outside local institutional churches. Congregational music-making is not only a means of expressing local concerns and constituting the local religious community; it is also a powerful way to identify with far-flung individuals, institutions, and networks that comprise this global religious community. The interactions among the congregations reveal widespread conflicts over religious authority, carrying far-ranging implications for how evangelicals position themselves relative to other groups in North America and beyond.

Christian Congregational Music explores the role of congregational music in Christian religious experience, examining how musicians and worshippers perform, identify with and experience belief through musical praxis. Contributors from a broad range of fields, including music studies, theology, literature, and cultural anthropology, present interdisciplinary perspectives on a variety of congregational musical styles - from African American gospel music, to evangelical praise and worship music, to Mennonite hymnody - within contemporary Europe and North America. In addressing the themes of performance, identity and experience, the volume explores several topics of interest to a broader humanities and social sciences readership, including the influence of globalization and mass mediation on congregational music style and performance; the use of congregational music to shape multifaceted identities; the role of mass mediated congregational music in shaping transnational communities; and the function of music in embodying and imparting religious belief and knowledge. In demonstrating the complex relationship between ’traditional’ and ’contemporary’ sounds and local and global identifications within the practice of congregational music, the plurality of approaches represented in this book, as well as the range of musical repertoires explored, aims to serve as a model for future congregational music scholarship.

Studying the role of music within religious congregations has become an increasingly complex exercise. The significant variations in musical style and content between different congregations require an interdisciplinary methodology that enables an accurate analysis, while also allowing for nuance in interpretation. This book is the first to help scholars think through the complexities of interdisciplinary research on congregational music-making by critically examining the theories and methods used by leading scholars in the field. An international and interdisciplinary panel of contributors introduces readers to a variety of research methodologies within the emerging field of congregational music studies. Utilizing insights from fields such as communications studies, ethnomusicology, history, liturgical studies, popular music studies, religious studies, and theology, it examines and models methodologies and theoretical perspectives that are grounded in each of these disciplines. In addition, this volume presents several “key issues” to ground these interpretive frameworks in the context of congregational music studies. These include topics like diaspora, ethics, gender, and migration. This book is a new milestone in the study of music amongst congregations, detailing the very latest in best academic practice. As such, it will be of great use to scholars of religious studies, music, and theology, as well as anyone engaging in ethnomusicological studies more generally.

The seemingly vitalizing impact of religiosity on civil society is a research topic that has been extensively looked into, not only in the USA, but increasingly also in a European context. What is missing is an evaluation of the role of institutionalized religious communities, and of circumstances that facilitate or impede their status as civil society organisations. This anthology in 2 volumes aims at closing this gap by providing case studies regarding political, legal and historical aspects in various European countries. Vol. 2 provides some theoretical aspects, a report on the final conference, and case studies from Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Poland and the Ukraine, as well as a special chapter on Brazil and a Note on Religious Political Ideology.

The relationship between musical activity and ethical significance occupies long traditions of thought and reflection both within Christianity and beyond. From concerns regarding music and the passions in early Christian writings through to moral panics regarding rock music in the 20th century, Christians have often gravitated to the view that music can become morally weighted, building a range of normative practices and prescriptions upon particular modes of ethical judgment. But how should we think about ethics and Christian musical activity in the contemporary world? As studies of Christian musicking have moved to incorporate the experiences, agencies, and relationships of congregations, ethical questions have become implicit in new ways in a range of recent research - how do communities negotiate questions of value in music? How are processes of encounter with a variety of different others negotiated through musical activity? What responsibilities arise within musical communities? This volume seeks to expand this conversation. Divided into four sections, the book covers the relationship of Christian musicking to the body; responsibilities and values; identity and encounter; and notions of the self. The result is a wide-ranging perspective on music as an ethical practice, particularly as it relates to contemporary religious and spiritual communities. This collection is an important milestone at the intersection of ethnomusicology, musicology, religious studies and theology. It will be a vital reference for scholars and practitioners reflecting on the values and practices of worshipping communities in the contemporary world.

Drawing on contributions from the 2018 congress of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), this volume explores and analyses challenges around communication, management and big ideas to present findings from current research in corporate communication.