Holy Leisure: Recreation and Religion in God's Square Mile - Hardcover

Messenger, Troy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0816632537 ISBN 13: 9780816632534

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press, 1999

Synopsis

On July 31, 1869, twenty-two members of the holiness movement of the Methodist church gathered to pray on a beach on the New Jersey shore. Before long, Ocean Grove was established as "God's Square Mile, " the first permanent camp meeting dedicated to the pursuit of both holiness and recreational activities. In this richly illustrated account, Troy Messenger looks at the numerous informal amusements of summer life at Ocean Grove and provides a glimpse into a fascinating moment in the development of both nineteenth-century religion and an American leisure culture.

Like other seaside resorts of the time such as Atlantic City and Coney Island, Ocean Grove boasted a festival atmosphere and offered such diversions as baby parades, oriental bazaars, pageants, beach games, ushers' marches, and drills by the Young Rough Riders. While guests were forbidden to drink, smoke, play cards, or drive their cars on Sunday, they were encouraged to enjoy other pursuits that would have scandalized pious Methodists of an earlier era, such as relaxing on the beach, taking the summer off, attending popular amusements, and staging comic gender satire with cross-dressed men. At Ocean Grove, however, even seemingly frivolous activities had a higher purpose: every aspect of daily life was focused on the attainment of perfection and all were performances of "holy leisure."

The genius of Ocean Grove, Messenger argues, was in extending holiness from the parlor meeting to the beach. Here, conservative evangelicals discovered a moral imperative to enjoy rest and recreation. By praying and playing together, the people of Ocean Grove acquired a unique understanding of self and community, one that illuminates theliberal social-reform movements of the nineteenth-century religious middle class and the early leisure industry.

About this title

Review

"...the author does some creative things, largely stemming from his use of a performance orientation to examine how spirituality becomes enacted and practiced.... I would recommend this book to those interested in thinking about how time, space and body have been linked historically to theology, religious organiz ation and the practice of spirituality."-Sociology of Religion "Messenger masterfully evokes a holy time and place- summers at Ocean Grove, New Jersey-and reminds us of the ways in which religious practices tell us who we are and shape how we relate to each other, to our own bodies, to the rhythm of life, and to God. This is a fascinating account, both insightfully analyzed and wonderfully written and illustrated."-Nancy T. Ammerman, Hartford Seminary "This [book] is a major contribution to the study of religious life in the United States. While situating the 'Jerusalem-by-the-sea' within the history of the church and its theology, Holy Leisure takes the reader into the daily lives of those who found a way 'to move seamlessly between play and devotion.' They modeled perfection through performances of holiness in everyday life, from their simple living arrangements in tents and their daily schedule of tasks, exercise, and prayer, to the organized baby parade, fairyland pageant, spectacle of light, and tours of a scale model of Jerusalem. The Methodists who sustained 'God's Square Mile' for more than a century demonstrate how holiness could be advanced through the sanctification of leisure. This lucid and insightful book speaks not only to the cultural history of religion, but also suggests new directions for the study of tourism and leisure."-Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, author of Destination Culture

From the Publisher

Examining the role of leisure at a religious camp meeting.
On July 31, 1869, twenty-two members of the holiness movement of the Methodist church gathered to pray on a beach on the New Jersey shore. Before long, Ocean Grove was established as "God’s Square Mile," the first permanent camp meeting dedicated to both religious and recreational pursuits. In this richly illustrated history, Troy Messenger looks at the numerous informal amusements of summer life at Ocean Grove and provides a glimpse into a fascinating moment in the development of both nineteenth-century religion and American leisure culture.

Like other seaside resorts of the time such as Atlantic City and Coney Island, Ocean Grove boasted a festival atmosphere and offered such events as baby parades, oriental bazaars, pageants, beach games, ushers’ marches, and drills by the Young Rough Riders. Guests were forbidden to drink, smoke, play cards, or drive their cars on Sunday, but they were encouraged to enjoy other diversions that would have scandalized pious Methodists of an earlier era, such as taking the summer off, relaxing on the beach, attending popular amusements, and staging comic gender satire with cross-dressed men. At Ocean Grove, even seemingly frivolous activities had a higher purpose: every aspect of daily life was focused on the attainment of perfection and was considered a performance of "holy leisure."

The genius of Ocean Grove, Messenger argues, was in extending holiness from the parlor meeting to the beach. Here, conservative evangelicals discovered a moral imperative to enjoy rest and recreation. By praying and playing together, the people of Ocean Grove acquired a unique understanding of self and community, one that illuminates the liberal social-reform movements of the nineteenth-century religious middle class and the early leisure industry.

"Messenger masterfully evokes a holy time and place—summers at Ocean Grove, New Jersey—and reminds us of the ways in which religious practices tell us who we are and shape how we relate to each other, to our own bodies, to the rhythm of life, and to God. This is a fascinating account, both insightfully analyzed and wonderfully written and illustrated."—Nancy T. Ammerman, Center for Social and Religious Research, Hartford Seminary

"Felicitously titled Holy Leisure, this evocative study of a summer community at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, is a major contribution to the study of religious life in the United States. While situating this ‘Jerusalem-by-the-sea’ within the history of the church and its theology, Holy Leisure takes the reader into the daily lives of those who found a way ‘to move seamlessly between play and devotion.’ They modeled perfection through performances of holiness in everyday life, from their simple living arrangements in tents and their daily schedule of tasks, exercise, and prayer to the organized baby parade, fairyland pageant, spectacle of light, and tours of a scale model of Jerusalem. The Methodists who sustained ‘God’s Square Mile’ for more than a century demonstrate how holiness could be advanced through the sanctification of leisure. This lucid and insightful book speaks not only to the cultural history of religion, but also suggests new directions for the study of tourism and leisure." Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, author of Destination Culture: Tourism, Museums, and Heritage.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0816632537
• ISBN 13: 9780816632534
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 176