Activism That Makes Sense: Congregations and Community Organization

by Gregory F. Augustine Pierce

This classic resource for community organization is aimed primarily at clergy who have accepted the need for active involvement in the social problems of the world in order to fulfill the basic... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809126001
• ISBN13: 9780809126002
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: Paulist Press
• Length: 148 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Insightful, Practical, Still Relevant

This book is concise but at the same time very explanatory, clearly breaking down the process of community organizing into its essential elements, at least according to the author's perspective. The book was written a while ago, but the issues are still very relevant. I'm very new to reading about CO, but just reading the book got me very excited about the possibility for real change. I highly recommend it to other interested in entering the field.

from the back cover of the book:

Many churches and synagogues, when faced with a needy situation in their neighborhoods, are paralyzed or indecisive. Should they provide for the needy while ignoring the root cause of the distress? Should they urge their members to pursue political correctives through the ballot box? Should the institution involve itself in partisan politics? None of these approaches is the best way, according to Gregory Pierce. If they are truly to have an impact on their social milieu, congegations must involve themselves in broadly-based community organizations large and powerful enough to confront underlying causes of need. This tried and proven method was developed forty years go by Saul Alinsky and is still employed successfully today. In order to be effective in community organizations, however, congregations must be willing to work with other groups with different ideologies, and they must understand and be willing to utilize the levers of power. This book is a primer for lay leaders and clergy who want to move their congregations into the arena of activism. It tells them what to do -- and what not to do -- if they want to make a difference in their neighborhoods.