FAITH INSTITUTIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

How Powerful Stories Are Rebuilding a Church

This is the story of Elias Van Buren Parker and how today’s telling of his story has the power to pull the town of Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania from its early glory days, then decline, back to new days of glory.

Civic Life

A Southern City Shows How to Deal With the Past

This is how it looks when a community, its faith and civic organizations, and some of its leading citizens face difficult truths.

Economic & Business Development

The University of Dayton Is Reinventing Town-Gown Relations

Archway Entrance for the University of Dayton, in Ohio. “The city is in our name,” says the university’s president. “It’s our future.” (Courtesy of the University of Dayton) It’s time for another report on Dayton, Ohio, subject of this introduction last month. A century ago, Dayton was known mainly for the things it created, from the Wright Brothers’ […]

Arts

The American Sense of Place

An update: Reactions from readers and significant local-renewal developments

Education

The Modern Orphans of Mississippi

"Actually, the children live very well."

Arts

‘Where Do You Go to Church?’ The Video and Mapping Versions

More ways of taking the measure of this vast country.

Reports From America

What We Mean When We Say Hello

The curious geography of American greetings

Arts

So, Where Do You Live? What Do You Do?

Read the story in The Atlantic  here.   When we were in Greenville SC recently, I was surprised to learn that a very common follow-up to the greeting of “How do you do?” or “Nice to meet you,” is the question “Where do you go to church?” I wrote about it here. Lots of you wrote […]