Ecology of denominational fundamentalism in a metropolis

This article examines the spatial distribution of all edifices of mainline, evangelical, and fundamentalist Protestant denominations and other religions in a Midwestern metropolis. Classic ecological theory holds that people minimize their travel costs by patronizing organizations closest to their residence. This has been generally verified for economic organizations, but not for churches that: emphasize sentiment and noneconomic values. Since residential areas of American cities tend to be socioeconomically stratified and denominations and religions manifest a similar tendency, we predict a general convergence Of Church and member residential location. For seven tiers Surrounding downtown that extend to the suburbs, rising house values accompany rising representation of mainline churches. The exurban zone exhibits the greatest diversity in the socioeconomic status of its residents and denominations. The inner city around downtown contains a higher and lower socioeconomic district for whites and African Americans. The denominational composition in all four districts conforms to the theory's predictions. Downtown churches are an exception to ecological theory because sentiment and family tradition pull members from the entire metropolitan region. We Conclude that, with this exception, the convergence of church location, denomination, and member residence supports ecological theory, for noneconomic organizations such as churches.