New Wine in Old Wineskins

"Congregations are not transformed mysteriously; change comes about as moods shift, as leaders and groups mobilize and contend with one another for power and influence. . . . Few studies in American religion have described how such changes come about with as much insight and sensitivity as this study does. Sociologists interested in how institutions generally adapt to changing circumstances can learn from it."—Wade Clark Roof, Contemporary Sociology

"This is an important contribution, demonstrating the rapidly improving quality of responsible scholarship studying American religious life. . . . The author's personal feelings show through vividly alongside his demonstration of the mastery of the scholarship of sociology of religion."—Erling Jorstad, Journal of American History

"The conduct of this study, its analysis, and the way it is described make it an exemplary sociological work."—Nancy T. Ammerman, American Journal of Sociology

"Warner's book is a major achievement, and it deserves a wide readership."—Joel Carpenter, Christianity Today