Robert Brenneman - Building Faith: A Sociology of Religious Structures

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Brenneman, Robert, author. | Miller, Brian J. (Brian Jonathan), author.

Title: Building faith : a sociology of religious structures /

Robert Brenneman and Brian J. Miller.

Description: New York : Oxford University Press, [2020] |

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020003947 (print) | LCCN 2020003948 (ebook) |

ISBN 9780190883447 (hardback) | ISBN 9780190883454 (updf) |

ISBN 9780190883478 (oso) | ISBN 9780190883461 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Architecture and society. |

Religious architecture. | Religion and sociology.

Classification: LCC NA2543.S6 B735 2020 (print) | LCC NA2543.S6 (ebook) |

DDC 720.1/03dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020003947

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020003948

I wish to thank Brian for believing in this project and for being patient with my fickle ear and sluggish pace of writing. Thanks also to the Society for the Scientific Study of Religions Jack Shand Research Grant for providing travel funds that made possible multiple trips to Guatemala and to the Midwest. Paul Jones deserves a hearty thanks for encouraging this project at multiple junctures, and for providing an excellent and detailed review of the entire manuscript. In addition, Gerardo Marti and several anonymous reviewers at Sociology of Religionread early versions of and helped us greatly as we hammered out some of the original ideas that would become the seed for the book. Many conference goers at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Association for the Sociology of Religion also provided important comments and encouragement over the years, and Cynthia Read provided editorial encouragement and guidance. That said, any errors or weaknesses in the manuscript belong to the authors alone.

In Guatemala, Israel Ortiz helped enormously by making contacts and setting up interviews. Karen Ponciano and Maria Victoria Garca Vettorazzi also deserve a shout out for listening to my early ideas and providing encouragement and advice. In Vermont, Dina Alsaffar was crucial in helping to arrange the meeting with leaders of the Islamic Society of Vermont. Most importantly, I wish to give a special thanks to the many people who gave their time to this project by sitting down with me to discuss how the buildings where they met (or buildings they designed) had come to be and how the same buildings had shaped the experience of their congregations. I continue to be humbled by the willingness of peopleparticularly in Guatemala but also in the United Statesto donate their time to a sociologist armed with a notepad and recorder. The Carrillo family in Xelaj deserves an extra special Gracias!for going above and beyond by providing me with not only interviews, but free meals, friendly conversation, and even a place to sleep. Now thats generosity! To all those who shared their time and thoughts, I hope that we have done justice to your experience.

I wish to thank my tag team of consultant-critics, Nico and Gabo, for their continuing encouragement, their growing interest in the project, and for their good company. To Gaby, I owe a special debt of gratitude. You not only humored me patiently in this multi-year project, but you joined me in a quest to understand how physical space shapes community. Mil gracias!

Robert