When I was reading the section about white southern churches in the Civil Rights Era in When Heaven and Earth Collide, I was reminded of this book that was sitting on my shelf. Since it's from the same era--1962, to be exact--I figured I'd dust it off and read it again to get a first hand account of "white flight". The Suburban Captivity of the Churches is a look at the causes and consequences of the relocation of urban Protestant congregations to the suburbs. Reading it on the heels of reading When Heaven and Earth Collide, I was first struck by the differences. Dr. Winter writes for an educated audience, and the book first came across as a dry sociology study. But as the book progressed, Dr. Winter's pastoral concern for the people affected by this movement began to show through. Now, almost 60 years after it was written, this book has indeed become a book of history. But some institutions change slowly and I was able to recognize aspects of the book not only in the memory of the church I grew up in, but also my congregation today. I found the book still worth reading.
--J. ( )