Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Use Restrictions

Visual materials may require special handling.

Preferred Citation

Loudoun's Quilt of Faith (M 042), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Christopher Stevenson, Purcellville, Virginia

Alternative Form Available

Digital images

Accruals

2008.0141, 2008.0145, 2008.0156, 2008.0179, 2008.0193, 2009.0001, 2009.0052, 2009.0065, 2009.0099, 2009.0113, 2009.0164, 2010.0003, 2010.0154, 2010.0195

Processing Information

Processed by Beth Schuster, 27 September 2008. Updated by Beth Schuster, 25 November 2008. Updated by Carolyn Jackson, 23 July 2009. Updated by Carolyn Jackson, 2 June 2010

This is an open collection.

Historical Information

Loudoun's Quilt of Faith, an inter-faith oral history project begun in 2008, explores the importance of religion in the lives of Loudoun County residents. Conceptualized as part of a national oral history project, America's Quilt of Faith, Loudoun's Quilt of Faith is currently the only active component. Project founder and Loudoun County resident Christopher Stevenson, a physicist, teacher, and engineer by training, was inspired by what he sees as the exceptional role religion played, and continues to play, in the cultural and political life of the United States.

Stevenson points to the United States of America's unique religious experience as fundamental in allowing the emergence of America's twenty-first century religious landscape. He also sees the United States' religious experience as markedly different from the rest of the world -- both advanced and developing nations -- where absence of practicing faith and/or lack of tolerance and religious diversity are hallmarks.

Building on the survey work of institutions like the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey, Stevenson seeks to capture a snapshot of the diversity of the American religious experience in a narrative format. He developed a template of twenty-eight questions, ranging from salvation and sin to evangelism to the role of religion in revitalizing American families, to which both leaders and congregants of religious communities were asked to respond. These interviews were digitally audio-recorded. In addition, Stevenson and photographer Kim Graham and Heather Lindsey attended worship services, during which Graham photographed congregations actively practicing their faith.

Scope and Content

The collection includes digital and print photographs, digitized interviews, and church brochures. It is an open collection; additional materials will be added as they are completed.

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

Other Finding Aid

Past Perfect catalogue records for photographs

Technical Requirements

Electronic media