{"id":2624,"date":"2008-11-03T19:48:58","date_gmt":"2008-11-03T19:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/?p=2624"},"modified":"2010-12-22T11:57:12","modified_gmt":"2010-12-22T16:57:12","slug":"6677","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2008\/11\/03\/6677\/","title":{"rendered":"New Book Reflects \u2018Fascinating Century\u2019 in Church History"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO, IL (November 3, 2008) \u2013 A new book on the history of North Park Covenant Church provides a case study for how local congregations across the country developed amid the theological and social changes in the 20th century.
\n
\nHistorian Stephen Graham \u2013 former dean of faculty and professor at North Park University \u2013 wrote Come to the Table<\/em> to help celebrate the church\u2019s 110th anniversary. The book was introduced Sunday night during a dinner celebrating the church\u2019s milestone.<\/p>\n

The book covers the 100 years between the church\u2019s founding in 1898 and 1998. The church life spanned what Graham calls a \u201cfascinating century\u201d in American religious history.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a fascinating century.\u201d<\/h5>\n

Graham, who also is a member of the congregation, interweaves narratives of how the church handled issues that include the fundamentalist-modernist controversy, immigration and assimilation, the adaptation of the church to a changing neighborhood, and changes in culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a fascinating century,\u201d Graham says.<\/p>\n

Although the book documents the service of the different pastors and various committees, the book actually is accessible reading for people who have never attended the church, Graham says. Reading how one church responded to the issues of its times can help give guidance to other congregations as they confront issues that still remain or are similar.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe particular people might not be known to people outside, but they do represent something much larger,\u201d Graham says.<\/p>\n

For example, the thought processes and differences of opinion that went into making the transition from the Swedish to English language during worship services still are relevant today, Graham says. \u201cA lot of different ethnic groups struggled with holding on to the good with one\u2019s heritage and yet being able to move into the new day.\u201d<\/p>\n

The modernist-fundamentalist debates of the 1920s tore some churches apart. \u201cWithin the Swedish-American press, there were some pretty harsh things being said back and forth,\u201d Graham says. \u201cOne of the interesting things about this story is you had people on different side of that debate who are working in the same congregation.<\/p>\n

“But that\u2019s just the character of the church \u2013 it\u2019s a divine and human institution, from the smallest church to the largest denomination.\u201d<\/h6>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean it was easy, and Graham documents some of the internal struggles related to that as well as others. Graham does not shy away from parts of the church\u2019s history that includes its failings and transgressions. \u201cI did that just because I thought I had to do it to be honest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s part of the story, and it shaped the character of the place,\u201d Graham adds. \u201cThose opportunities also revealed strengths and qualities that allowed it to endure. But that\u2019s just the character of the church \u2013 it\u2019s a divine and human institution, from the smallest church to the largest denomination.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graham also details the work of church members in areas of community development and justice. He quotes church minutes when he reports that in September 1960, the diaconate recommended \u201cthat the pastors select and contact a negro speaker for Race Relations Sunday, February 12, 1961.\u201d<\/p>\n

The book is painstakingly researched. Graham and others immersed themselves in old church records and interviewed many members for the book. Endnotes are located at the end of each chapter.<\/p>\n

While Graham was researching the book, he also read the manuscript of a similar history being prepared by his former thesis advisor Martin Marty. \u201cIt was stunning to me to see the parallels that were there – the periods of growth and kinds of institutional growth, the building of buildings. Both churches have their share of scandals and hardships.\u201d<\/p>\n

The book also recounts discussions of issues that seemed important at the time. While they may seem quaint and even bring a chuckle now, they still play out in different forms today.<\/p>\n

Graham writes: \u201cPopular amusements became a topic for conversation and guidance. In March 1949, the Sunday school leadership distributed a list of comic books to the boys and girls. The list categorized comics as \u2018highly objectionable, unsuitable, passable\u2019 and \u2018O.K.\u2019 No criteria were given for determining where the comics should be listed, but Captain Easy and the Human Torch were listed as highly objectionable, Abbot and Costello was listed as unsuitable, Superman appeared passable, and Roy Rogers and Little Lulu were graded O.K.\u201d<\/p>\n

The book, Graham says, confirms that the church is both a human and divine institution.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to order the book online from Covenant Bookstore.<\/p>\n

Report This Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO, IL (November 3, 2008) \u2013 A new book on the history of North Park Covenant Church provides a case study for how local congregations across the country developed amid the theological and social changes in the 20th century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nNew Book Reflects \u2018Fascinating Century\u2019 in Church History - Covenant Newswire Archives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2008\/11\/03\/6677\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Book Reflects \u2018Fascinating Century\u2019 in Church History - 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