Anthropological Survey Of The U.s. Church

Up to now, Western Christianity study have mostly been conducted by scholars specialized in religion and politics, while few anthropologists in China have examined it systematically. This is partly because resources are limited for us and partly because such studies are not the main concerns of religion anthropology, which attaches high emphasis on folk religion. Originated in Western World, anthropology has a tendency to keep Western tradition out of consideration. It greatly limits our understanding on Western culture.I first visited St. James Church, an Episcopal Church on August 2003. From September 2003 to June 2004,1 visited it regularly and had done many fieldworks. I had participated the service on Sunday nearly every week, managed to interview more than 6 Christian in the church, and done questionnaire before I came back to Beijing. On the basis of my face-to-face interviews and participant observation, I explore in this thesis four major issues. First, the history of Episcopal Church of the U.S.A in general and the history of St. James Church in particular. The organizational structure, the main rituals, and activities of St. James are also explored. Second, the belief, lives and small groups of the Christians. Three cases of the Christians from St. James are provided. Third, the relationship between religion and Presidential election in 2004.Fourth, the impact of homosexual marriage legalization of Massachusetts on the Church.This thesis is an ethnography of St. James and its congregations. Through elaborating on its history, vestry, rituals and activities, it is clear that church is not only a spiritual garden for congregation, but also a kind of social organization. It has great impact on the social and political lives of congregations.