A History of Christianity in Pittsburgh

by Gary Scott Smith

Overview

Christians have played a vital role in the history of Pittsburgh as community leaders, activists, athletes and more. Their ministries have inspired many worshipers and improved the community. Leading Pirates, Steelers and Penguins who have powerfully promoted Christianity here include Andrew McCutchen, Clint Hurdle, Troy Polamalu, Mike Tomlin and Dan Bylsma. A diversity of parachurch organizations and congregations, from Baptist to Presbyterian and Catholic to nondenominational, have shaped and advanced the faith. Gary Scott Smith tells the exciting story of their quest, as Episcopal rector Samuel Shoemaker put it, "to make Pittsburgh as famous for God as for steel."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467141093
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	12/10/2018
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,060,477
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

For thirty-nine years, Gary Scott Smith taught at Grove City College, where he chaired the History Department and coordinated the Humanities Core. He earned his MDiv at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and his PhD in history at Johns Hopkins University. He received Grove City College's inaugural Professor of the Year award in 2000, and the next year, he was named Pennsylvania Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He is the author or editor of thirteen books, including Faith and the Presidency: From George Washington to George W. Bush (Oxford University Press, 2006), Heaven in the American Imagination (Oxford University Press, 2011), Religion in the Oval Office: The Religious Lives of American Presidents (Oxford University Press, 2015) and Suffer the Children: What We Can Do to Improve the Lives of the World's Impoverished Children (Cascade Books, 2017). Smith is also an ordained minister in the PCUSA and currently is the co-director of the mission program and a parish associate at Saint Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church in Wilmington.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

Introduction 9

1 Pittsburgh and the Social Gospel, 1900-1930 19

2 Catholicism in Pittsburgh: "A Church Alive" 33

3 The African American Church in Pittsburgh: Promoting the Gospel, Economic Advancement and Racial Justice 49

4 Samuel Shoemaker, the Pittsburgh Experiment and the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation 61

5 The Coalition for Christian Outreach and Urban Impact Foundation 77

6 Light of Life Rescue Mission and The Pittsburgh Project 97

7 Three Historic Pittsburgh Churches: First Presbyterian, St. Paul Cathedral and Calvary Episcopal 114

8 Four Pittsburgh Megachurches: Allegheny Center Alliance Church, The Bible Chapel, North Way Christian Community and Victory Family Church 139

9 Two African American Pittsburgh Churches: Macedonia Baptist and Mount Ararat Baptist 175

10 Faith and the Pittsburgh Pirates 192

11 Faith and the Pittsburgh Steelers 215

12 Faith and the Pittsburgh Penguins 250

13 Pittsburgh: A Faithful City 261

Notes 265

About the Author 319