The Quiet Hand of God: Faith-Based Activism and the Public Role of Mainline Protestantism

Acknowledgments

ix Acknowledgments In 1998 the Religion Division of the Pew Charitable Trusts of Philadelphia, under the guidance of Director Luis E. Lugo, initiated a series of projects called Religious Communities and the Public Square, the aim of which was to further both the understanding and the effectiveness of religion’s role in strengthening and preserving civic life in America. The Public Role of Mainline Protestantism project was one of seven three-year projects funded under this initiative; the others focused on African American Protestantism , American Judaism, evangelical Protestantism, Roman Catholicism , Muslims in America, and Hispanic Christians. Administered by Princeton University’s Center for the Study of Religion, the Public Role of Mainline Protestantism project sought to examine the ways in which the six largest mainline denominations (American Baptist Churches in the USA, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church USA, United Church of Christ, and United Methodist Church) had been active since 1970 in attempting to influence public discussion of collective values and involvement in social issues. The chapters for this volume were commissioned in fall 1998 in consultation with a Liaison and Advisory Committee, which consisted of Thom White Wolf Fassett, general secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church; Thomas Hart, interim director of Government Relations, Episcopal Church; Elenora Giddings Ivory, director of the Washington Office, Presbyterian Church (USA); Curtis Ramsey Lewis, director of Legislative Advocacy, Office of Government Relations, American Baptist Churches; Steve Miller, Just Peace coordinator and Hunger Action director, United Church of Christ; Jay Lintner, director, Washington Office, United Church of Christ; James Nash, Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy, Wesley Theological Seminary; Albert x / Acknowledgments Pennybacker, director, Washington Office, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; Russell O. Siler, director, Lutheran Office of Government Affairs; and James Wind, president of the Alban Institute. Two kinds of chapters were commissioned: chapters that provided information about the various traditions, organizations, and activities of mainline churches, and chapters that examined specific issues in which mainline denominations have been actively engaged. We thought of the two kinds of chapters as complementing each other, the one providing a broad view of who the mainline is and what it tries to do, the other focusing on how these resources were deployed. Among the former, we were able to draw on other studies then under way to learn more about mainline congregations and their partnerships with community agencies, in addition to conducting original research of our own. Over the next year and a half, we interviewed denominational staff members in Washington and elsewhere , interviewed approximately 150 clergy and laity, and collected a large amount of material from denominational archives, the National Council of Churches, and several other organizations. We commissioned a survey of Presbyterian clergy, elders, and laity, which was conducted by the Research Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as part of its ongoing survey, the Presbyterian Panel. We also conducted a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population through Princeton University’s Survey Research Center. During the research process, the researchers at Princeton University met regularly to discuss methodology, common issues, preliminary findings , and outlines of chapters. Drafts of some of the chapters were presented at the Religion and Culture Workshop and at meetings of several academic societies. All of the researchers met for a conference at Princeton University in June 2000 to discuss first drafts of chapters and strategies for integrating the chapters. Each chapter received commentary by two discussants, and each chapter was reviewed by two anonymous peer reviewers . Representatives of the research team also met periodically with the Liaison and Advisory Committee. One meeting of the Liaison and Advisory Committee included religion writers for the nation’s leading newspapers and news periodicals who contributed insights about the mainline ’s efforts to gain publicity for its programs; another meeting included policymakers and representatives of research organizations who provided advice on the mainline’s programs. In cooperation with the Aspen Institute, a national leadership conference was held in March 2001 at which selected church leaders, clergy, and laity discussed the results of the research project and focused on ways to Acknowledgments / xi develop and implement recommendations based on the research. James Wind of the Alban Institute prepared a summary of the research findings that was presented at the conference and distributed as a separate report. Special thanks...