The political controversy surrounding the role of religion in public life calls for more objective attention to the faith factor in social activism. What does it mean for a community-serving program to be “faith-based”? How do churches and other religious organizations express their religious identity or convey a religious message in the context of social services? Drawing on case studies of fifteen Philadelphia-area Protestant churches with active community outreach, Saving Souls, Serving Society introduces a new vocabulary for describing the religious components and spiritual meanings embed ... More

The political controversy surrounding the role of religion in public life calls for more objective attention to the faith factor in social activism. What does it mean for a community-serving program to be “faith-based”? How do churches and other religious organizations express their religious identity or convey a religious message in the context of social services? Drawing on case studies of fifteen Philadelphia-area Protestant churches with active community outreach, Saving Souls, Serving Society introduces a new vocabulary for describing the religious components and spiritual meanings embedded in social action, and provides a typology of faith-based organizations and programs. This analysis yields a framework for Protestant mission orientations that makes room for the diverse ways that churches interrelate spiritual witness and social compassion. In particular, the debate over faith-based initiatives has highlighted a small but growing segment of churches committed to both saving souls and serving society. The book illuminates the public engagement of these “;conversionist” churches, exploring how they navigate the tension between their spiritual mission and the constraints on evangelism in the context of social services. The closing chapters explicate the potential contribution of religious dynamics to social outcomes, assess the relationship between mission orientations and social capital, present recommendations for research on faith-based social services, and draw implications for a constructive approach to church-state relations. Openness to a fresh perspective can equip policy makers, scholars and practitioners to respond wisely to the evolving complexities of the religious contours of social ministry.