520.14 Urban Sprituality

Normandie-Adams Community Spirituality Abigail East, Urban Spirituality: 

Normandie-Adams Community Spirituality Abigail East, Urban Spirituality

Community Demographics: 

Community Demographics Normandie-Adams neighborhood in South Los Angeles. This area is located near University of Southern California (USC), and is adjacent to downtown LA.

Overview: 

Overview Largely Hispanic (Salvadorians and Mexicans) and African American with a few Anglo-Americans and Asians. There are many neighborhood churches, most are ethnocentric catering to either language or culture.

Poorness and Spirituality: 

Poorness and Spirituality Adams-Normandie is one in the poorest quartile of Los Angeles Spirituality of poverty; wanting God’s deliverance from poor situations Dependence on mediators Widespread alcohol abuse Bitterness, discontentment Distrust of neighbors and authority because of abuse.

Openness to Spirituality: 

Openness to Spirituality There is an openness to spirituality and expressing it in a public context. Handing out flyers and preaching on the bus are common.

Spirituality Continued: 

Spirituality Continued Catholic vs Christian. Emotive, communal spirituality

Demons, Ghosts and Spiritual Phenomena: 

Demons, Ghosts and Spiritual Phenomena Witches are common in Hispanic culture, often functioning as informal homeopathic doctors. The witches in the following stories are practicing witchcraft, tarot and palm readings and complying with requests to put curses on people. Demons possessing candle statues of various saints. Rooms dedicated to a saint’s statue and children with divination.

Church role in Spirituality: 

Church role in Spirituality Many churches are inwardly instead of outwards focused. Prevalent belief that owning a Bible acts as a talisman. Many believe in blending elements of Catholicism and mysticism (tarot cards and palm readings on occasion)

Changing the Church’s role in Spirituality: 

Changing the Church’s role in Spirituality Non-demographically, non-economically centered churches. Sharing groups Encouraging upper class church members to move into the neighborhood

Conclusion: 

Conclusion Visible spiritual presence, but a large emptiness present. Disenchantment stemming from painful experiences. People are quite open to expressing their spirituality, even with strangers Very emotive, purging, cathartic form of spirituality among the churches.