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Marti, Gerardo. A mosaic of believers: diversity and innovation in a
multiethnic church, Indiana, 2005. 239p bibl index afp ISBN 0-253-34482-4,
$39.95.
Reviewed in 2006jan CHOICE.
Through careful ethnography and masterful application of sociological
theory, Marti (sociology, Davidson College) provides a rewarding and
insightful study of one of the nation's largest multiethnic churches, Los
Angeles's Mosaic. This enormous congregation is broadly classified as about
30 percent each Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic, plus other groups.
Principally, Marti attributes Mosaic's remarkable success to five "havens"
of inclusion/involvement within the church that allow transcendence of
ethnic separateness in favor of spiritual commonalty. The "theological"
haven offers a purposeful ideology of evangelical mission that animates
other havens, while the haven of "artistic creativity" harnesses a wealth of
Hollywood talent and integrates myriad artistic forms into worship.
Analyzing the "innovator" haven, Marti explains how congregants viewed as
deviant in organizationally conservative churches frequently become
"catalytic leadership" within Mosaic. The "age" haven attracts and empowers
young people, especially those fleeing "entrapment" in their parents'
monoethnic subcultures. A superb chapter explores "ethnic" haven in terms of
the fluidity, subjectivity, and situational construction of ethnic identity,
allowing emphasis, reconfiguration or muting of ethnicity within Mosaic's
context and missiology. Engagingly and accessibly written, this excellent
book deserves wide readership among everyone interested in US religion,
ethnicity, organizations and urban culture.
Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.
--- K. D. Lyon, Jones County Junior College
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