In its 66th year, The Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, 1998 provides quick-reference access to names, addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers for denominational leaders, headquarters, agencies, and regional headquarters, as well as historical and current statistical data. This information is introduced by nationally recognized pollster George Gallup, Jr. The Yearbook: * provides data for researchers about religious trends * contains analytical and interpretive articles drawn from research data on the state of religious life in North America, presented clearly for the non-technical reader * includes names and addresses of church leaders, denominational headquarters, and regional offices; listings of regional ecumenical agencies, religious periodicals, theological schools and Bible colleges, and English-speaking overseas international congregations * provides brief descriptions of the nature of each organization and its primary activities * includes up-to-date statistics on church membership and finances * contains indexes of names and organizations for ease-of-use; calendar of religious holidays; graphs, charts, and photographs

Readers of the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches have come to trust it as the best single source of information about the status of religion in North America. Updated and confirmed annually, this accurate and comprehensive resource provides quick-reference access to names, addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers for denominational leaders, headquarters, agencies, and regional headquarters, as well as historical and current statistical data. This edition will include a theme chapter by Diana Eck on "Religious Pluralism in the New Millennium."

Provides a wealth of information about North American churches. The Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, 2003 is the 18th edition of an annual compilation of key information about denominations, churches, clergy, seminaries, and other religious organizations in the United States and Canada. The volume provides membership and financial statistics, descriptions of denominations, contact information for denominational offices, historical data, a directory of theological schools and ecumenical agencies, a calendar of religious holidays and festivals, and a listing of religious periodicals. The Yearbook is published with the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. The editorial focus for this volume is "Megachurches: How Do They Count?" As in earlier volumes, the major portion of the book consists of statistical information, names and addresses, and brief descriptive paragraphs on various organizations. The 18th edition of the Yearbook again includes both a print and an online component. The database features full-text search capability with additional search queries and will be updated periodically throughout the year.

Editors Dale McConkey and Peter Augustine Lawler explore the contributions that religious faith and morality can make to a civil society.

Over the last 25 years, there has been much talk of the presumed decline in religious participation in America. In addition, from the 1960s on, surveys that mark the influence of religion in American life have shown a mixed response. Many suggest that religion is losing influence in the culture as a whole; others indicate that while organized religion may be experiencing challenges, spirituality is on the upswing. At the same time, however, there have been signs that religious life in the U.S. is extraordinarily healthy. But religion in America has changed, to be sure, in a number of ways. And it has changed us and our culture in return. This timely set looks at the major forces that are changing the shape of religion in American life. With an influx of immigrants from Asia, Latin America, and other regions, the diversity of religion has grown to include Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and other faiths. Latin American and African American communities have experienced changes in the ways they practice their faith and in turn influence American culture in general. Women have entered the clergy in record numbers, and the push for allowing women and gays to enter the clergy in religions that limit or prohibit their roles is on the increase. In addition, gay couples are leading the same-sex marriage movement, and other social issues such as abortion, stem-cell research, end of life care, etc., are still being debated. Interest over how people actually live out their religion or spirituality has mushroomed in recent decades, thanks in part to the information revolution and popular culture. What folks do when they gather together to worship, and where they come together, has changed dramatically with the advent of the Internet and the role of sports in American life. So much has changed, and faith in America has become more important than ever—as part of our culture, our way of life, and the way we relate to each other and the world around us. The essays found in these pages shed light on our understanding of these transformations and help us comprehend the enormous role of religion in our society and in our world.