The Pluralism Project at Harvard University
Dr. Craig Steven Wansink
Virginia Wesleyan College
Religious Diversity and Assimilation in Hampton Roads, Virginia
Project Description
The First Amendment has shaped—and immigration patterns have reconfigured—the notion of religious diversity in America. The interreligious dialogue which is necessitated by those influences drives this project's two interrelated goals: the first, being descriptive; the second, comparative.
The first goal involves mapping the religious landscape of Hampton Roads, Virginia, noting—in particular—the ways in which it has changed since the 1960s. Because of the influence of the Christian Coalition on this part of the country, some mega-churches are examined. Because of the influence of the A.R.E. (Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment), some forms of non-institutionalized spirituality are examined. However, the majority of attention is given to non-Christian religions; particularly Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The mapping involves individual synagogues, mosques, and temples, along with other appropriate religious support services (e.g., the Tidewater Jewish Federation, and the Muslim Community of Tidewater). Local minority religious communities which do not have their own centers of worship (e.g., Baha'i, Pagan, or Messianic Jewish) also are being studied.
The second goal involves an analysis of how non-Christian religious communities in this area have changed, developed, or accommodated in response to the dominant Christian presence; particularly that of the Christian Coalition. The interest is in how minority status has shaped the articulation of theology and the practice of beliefs.
Within the months since this project started, the Christian Coalition has stumbled in significant ways, the senior pastor of a significant mega-church has resigned, two local Muslim women received $125,000 settlements in a local court case involving their wearing veils, and "new" religions in Hampton Roads have reached out to the community in new and unique ways (e.g., a Thai Buddhist community sponsored a summer meditation camp for young boys, the Navy's Muslim chaplain has developed a brig ministry, Vietnamese Buddhists are sharing religion through a martial arts studio).
Most of the research and the great majority of the interviews for this project already have been completed. Powerpoint presentations on religious life have been given within the Hampton Roads community, and a six-week series entitled "Faith of Our Neighbors: World Religions in Hampton Roads" will begin in two weeks (it will be presented at 2nd Presbyterian Church, Norfolk). As this project developed, the need for a broader context developed. Two projects grew out of that: a website on Places of Worship around Virginia Wesleyan College (which will be used for some preliminary social-scientific types of analysis), and a brief history of religion in Hampton Roads, focusing, in particular, on the latter part of the 18th century (this is helpful, because it poses some parallels to contemporary situations).
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