Faith and Community

A book more than 12 years in the making.

In 2012, the first researchers with the Little Rock Congregations Study headed out into our community to learn about what people and places of worship were thinking about religion in relation to that year’s election. In 2024, after surveying more than 4,000 congregants, interviewing nearly 300 clergy, and conducting in-depth case studies with seven congregations, our team is excited to announce the release of a new book: “Faith and Community: How Engagement Strengthens Members, Places of Worship, and Society.”

This book is the culmination of more than 12 years of community-based work, by over 200 student researchers from UA Little Rock and the Clinton School of Public Service. Dr. Rebecca Glazier, the project director, received the American Political Science Association’s Distinguished Award for Civic and Community Engagement for the research, as well as the Craig L. Brians Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Mentoring, and UA Little Rock’s Faculty Excellence Award for Research.

This page provides the latest updates on press coverage of the book, as well as community events and speaking engagements. If you are interested in having Dr. Glazier speak about this research at your university or place of worship, you can access her Digital Media Kit or email her directly at raglazier@ualr.edu.

Press Coverage:

Press Release from University News: https://ualr.edu/news/2024/07/16/lrcs-book/

Scholar’s Circle Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/37wHrHgUUhnT5vkDK0aS5q

Deseret News Opinion Piece: https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/07/06/worshipping-together-depolarizes/

Quoted in this Deseret News article: https://www.deseret.com/politics/2024/07/01/political-disagreements-religious-unity/

Interview with Common Good Magazine: https://commongoodmag.com/the-benefits-of-community-engagement-and-church-participation-according-to-data/

Radio Interview with KSL News Radio Inside Sources: https://shows.audiocdn.com/s/bonneville/inside-sources/rebecca-glazier-religion-3a749e

Blog post for North Philly Notes: https://templepress.wordpress.com/2024/07/17/what-the-world-needs-now-is-religion/

KARK TV News Story: https://www.kark.com/news/faith-matters/ua-little-rock-professor-publishes-results-from-more-than-decade-long-study-focusing-on-local-congregations/

Story in Arkansas Catholic: https://arkansas-catholic.org/2024/08/07/new-book-about-faith-community-in-little-rock/

Interview with Frank Lockwood, Religion Editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/aug/10/ualr-professors-book-details-benefits/

Story and video for Arkansas Money and Politics: https://armoneyandpolitics.com/ua-little-rocks-glazier-publishes-book/

Interview on the radio show Wade’s World: https://acornradio.org/2024/08/30/wades-world-rebecca-glazier-faith-and-community/.

Featured in North Philly Notes’ Summary of the American Political Science Association Annual Conference: https://templepress.wordpress.com/2024/09/11/images-from-the-recent-apsa-conference/.

Community Events:

Community event at Second Baptist Church Downtown, Lunch and Learn, July 11, 2024 from 12-1:15

Spoke with Saint Mark Baptist Church Staff on Tuesday, September 3 at 9:00 am.

Panel on Religion and Community Engagement at the American Political Science Association Annual Conference in Philadelphia on September 6, 2-3:30pm,

https://tinyurl.com/26lt9lld.

Book Signing Event at Barnes & Noble Little Rock on Chenal on September 18 at 6:00 pm

Community event at UA Little Rock Downtown, CALS Legacies and Lunch, October 2, 2024 at Noon. Register to attend in person or via Zoom here: https://events.cals.org/event/11754737.

Speaking at kiddush lunch following Shabbat morning services at Temple B’nai Israel on Saturday, November 9

Where can you get a copy of “Faith and Community”?

You can get the book from Temple University Press here: https://tupress.temple.edu/books/faith-and-community.

Or from Amazon here: https://amzn.to/45T8Bes