The Evolution of the Country Community: A Study in Religious SociologyWilson, Warren H. (Warren Hugh)
Religion
The Evolution of the Country Community: A Study in Religious Sociology
Wilson, Warren H. (Warren Hugh)
Christian sociology; Country life
As the tillers of the soil come to the necessity of co-operation in the
new order of life in the country, as the old isolation passes away and
the modern farmer comes to recognize his necessary dependence upon other
farmers in the community, a common place of worship will become
necessary to the community. One church will of necessity express the
life of the community and the periodic meeting of all the people in one
house of worship will be the highest and most essential symbol of the
feeling and the thought and the aspirations of that community after
true prosperity and permanence.
The purpose of this chapter has been to present the general
characteristics of the most exceptional communities in the country.
These are Mormon, Scotch Presbyterian and Pennsylvania German. By their
very names they indicate religious organization of the community and
"birthright membership" associations. They are grouped under the one
principle, that in them the religious organization is an expression of
their social economy. Their social and economic life is under the
domination of their religion.
These farmers are organized in the interest of agriculture. The
resultant social life constitutes a most intense organization in which
voluntary and conscious combination matures in instinctive union
embodied in blood relationship, neighborliness and economic union. These
populations show the correspondence between economic and religious
austerity. Thrift takes the form of dogmatic repression and finally
their organization and their relationship express themselves in
organized efforts for the well-being of the community. They deliberately
as well as instinctively co-operate.
It is the writer's belief that these exceptional communities exhibit the
principles on which American life must be organized, if the farmer is to
be a success, if his schools are to progress, his churches to be
maintained, and if the country community is to be a good place to live
in. None of these populations can be imitated. It would be impossible
for a community to take over their modes any more than it could imbibe
their motives. The study of them throws light upon the problem of
country life in America. Above all things it illustrates the especial
union of the country church with the social economy of the farmer and
his household. It shows that the life of country people is co-operative,
that it is undermined by division and disunion and that in the open
country where man is least seen his society is most evident. The
dependence of each man upon his neighbor is increased in modern times by
the thinning out of the rural population and the increased economic
burden laid upon the farmer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account