When the Lord's House Closes

Abstract

The nation’s future rests on how well cities respond to demographic, ecological, economic, and political trends or challenges. These are not unique to the United States but are profoundly obvious in this country, especially in its inner cities. That includes buildings that have closed, churches and otherwise. Many forces can make church buildings redundant; religion is declining globally due to modernization, largely fed by secularization. Church closures are manifested differently in cities compared to their rural counterparts, with implications for how the nation views these closures and whether the political will can be mustered to address this trend. Regardless of their physical location, churches represent important social anchors, bringing together art, faith, and culture. They were developed with a specific set of reasons or a mission, one being to allow visitors to leave their world behind to enter a new world that provides solace, even if for a short period of time.