The New Religious Image of Urban America, Second Edition: The Shopping Mall as Ceremonial Center

Preface to the First Edition

Preface to the First Edition The contemporary shopping mall is an heir to the rich legacy of ancient bazaars found on every continent. In 1971, my family visited Mexico, home of one of the world's largest shoppingcenters. Ten years agoI strolled through a very old, expansive, almost completely covered bazaar in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. In thesummer of 1984, my wife and I traveledin the Middle East and saw bazaars in Jerusalem and Cairo. These were certainly the original festival marketplaces and the models for contemporary American malls. And although they provided an historical and cross-cultural perspective and informed my understanding, in this book I have concentrated on America's malls. If there appear,to be a disproportionate number of referencestoJames Rousein thisstudy, it is because nooneelsehas reflected more on thenatureof malls and marketplaces ashuman centers. While Rouse's companyis not the biggestdeveloper of malls, he is by far the most creative, innovative, and articulate of mall designers. I am grateful toScott Ditch and Steve Pospisil of the RouseCompany and to Nancy Allison of The Enterprise Development Corporation for their cooperation in providing helpful information and photographs. The fetal heartbeat of this study began in the academic year 1979-80 when several students in my course, Introduction to Religious Studies, worked with me to discover the religious significance of shopping malls. The skeletal outline of the book appeared in one of my religion columns in the local Ca~roll County Times. John McHale, editor of Christian Classics, read the column and xiv . Pnface to the First Edition saw the possibilityof a book. For his insight, guidance, support , and patience, I am deeply grateful. The Research and Creativity Committee and the Philosophyand ReligiousStudies department of Western Maryland College helped provide funds for research and travel. I have visited more than forty malls in fifteen states. Mall marketing personnel were-with few exceptionshelpful and interested in the project. Somedeserve particular mention: Rebecca Bresson of Fox Hills Mall in Culver City, California, Robert W. Magel, Jr. of Park City, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jean E. Redmond, Crossroads Mall, Boulder, Colorado, and ReneeBarrett of LenoxSquare, Atlanta, Georgia . Donald B. Sutherland of Strawberry Square in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, and Brian Ulione of White Marsh Mall near Baltimore were very cooperative also. I also want to thank a few friends who hosted my visits to several cities: Elizabeth and Morris Winkelman in St. Petersburg , Florida, Cindy and Ted Runyon in Atlanta, Georgia, Georgina and Elias Riversin Stony Brook, New York, Ginny and Harry Wellsin Danbury, Connecticut, and Sabrina Bennett in Dallas, Texas. Virginia Story, our departmental secretary, typed several drafts of themanuscript. This bookcould not have been completed without her and I greatly appreciate her efficiency and commitment. Beverly McCabe helped with research at the outset of the project and Virginia Gent assisted with typing as the manuscript neared completion. I am especially indebted to Dorothy Shindle who was kind enough to type the final draft. I owe a debt of gratitude to Gerald Fischman and Ann Henderson who read the manuscript and made very important suggestions concerning grammar and style. he^ made my somewhat Teutonic sentences much more readable. A very special word of appreciation is extended to David Carrasco for his gracious and informative introduction. Preface to the First Edition . xv Most husband-authors pay tribute to their wives for their patience and encouragement. Mary, my wife, has traveled with me to many malls, made valuablecriticisms, and been most supportivethroughout thisstudy. She alsowas thefinal proofreader. So, in Mary's case, the tributeisgladlypaid and more than justified. There are no words, only hugs. ...