Suburban Church

Gretchen Buggeln holds the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christianity and the Arts at Valparaiso University. She is author of Temples of Grace: The Material Transformation of Connecticut’s Churches, 1790–1840.

• ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. New Times, New Architecture: Making a Place for Religion in Postwar Suburbia1. The Modern Church Movement2. The “Form-Givers” of Suburban Religion: Three Midwestern Architects3. From Dream to Dedication: The Shared Work of Church Building4. The A-frame Church: Symbol of an Era5. The Suburban Sanctuary: A House for the Worshipping Community6. Living and Learning as a Suburban Church Family: Modern Spaces for Education and Fellowship7. Religion, Architecture, and Community in the Celebrated Suburb of Park Forest, Illinois8. The Afterlife of the Postwar Suburban ChurchAppendix A: National Council of Churches of Christ List of Eighteen “Outstanding” New Churches, 1956Appendix B: Statement on Architecture and the Church, International Conference on Architecture and the Church, Bossy, Switzerland, 1959Appendix C: Working List of Stade Churches and Religious BuildingsAppendix D: List of Dart ChurchesAppendix E: List of Sovik Churches 1949-70NotesSources for ResearchIndex

"Gretchen Buggeln’s The Suburban Church beautifully recovers the life and cultural significance of a post-1945 American regional architecture so ubiquitous we’ve hardly noticed it.  Focused on the prodigious output of three prominent Midwest architects, The Suburban Church pops their sanctuaries into view so forcefully that readers will never drive by again without stopping-a transforming and deft cultural reconstruction."-Jon Butler, Yale University"There’s value in [Buggeln’s] documentation, especially as many of those involved in building the churches have passed away. It’s no small compliment to say that her enthusiasm for the individuals in this movement is winning."-TheNew Republic"Intended for graduate students and their professors, the book might nonetheless gain some attention from pastors and those appointed to building committees."-Catholic Library World"Buggeln’s thorough study of the suburban American church is a great read, full of detail delivered through superb architectural historical story-telling."-Art and Christianity"A fascinating account of the philosophical and practical origins of these churches and a paean to the vibrant communities that built and used them."-Marginalia "Preservationists, church members, historians, and students of suburbs should all rely on this essential work."-David R. Bains, The Annals of Iowa"This is an excellent and detailed account of the postwar growth in Protestant church building and architecture in the Midwest. A passionate story."-Journal of American Culture"Buggeln's well-written, engaging, and detailed text will be of great use to historians of architecture, as well as religion. She has conducted exhaustive research from a wide variety of sources including church memorabilia and records, oral histories, architectural drawings, and contemporary newspapers and periodicals, in addition to the essential secondary texts."-Buildings & Landscapes