Publication Date

5-1971

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Albert Petersen, Reza Ahsan, James Davis

Degree Program

Department of Geography and Geology

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Religion is a part of man and his culture. We cannot understand the totality of man if we do not understand his religion. The church structure is the visible expression of man's religion.

The purpose of this study is to describe the distribution of churches in Warren County, Kentucky, and to examine the factors that contribute to this areal pattern. In an attempt to further clarify this human-religious expression the following points will be considered: (1) the reasons for denominational change through time; (2) the association of church location and population with corresponding rural -urban shifts; and (3) the style of church architecture as a response to local community need.

A familiar pattern of settlement in the United States is the rural to urban migration of population that has been in effect since the beginning of the twentieth century. This migration has brought a change in the rural landscape. The further one goes from an urban center the less dense the population. Homes have been deserted and left to fall down; villages contain vacant stores and buildings. One would expect a corresponding pattern within the rural churches. However, there has not been a reduction of rural churches, while at the same time there has been a dynamic growth in the urban center. The reasons for this phenomena will be examined and discussed.

Disciplines

Architecture | Christian Denominations and Sects | Geography | Human Geography | Religion | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Urban, Community and Regional Planning

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