Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Endangered religion in the Village

Here's an excerpt from the Winter 2008-9 issue of The Anthemion, the newsletter of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Its proud account of its efforts to preserve two "endangered" houses of worship is interesting to read. (Click the pic to enlarge.) The description suggests that in both cases - the Congregation Mezritch synagogue on East 7th St and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection on East 2nd St - the houses of worship at issue are being protected from their own congregations' plans, presumably in order to grow (or survive) as religious congregations! What stand should the religious geographer take on such cases?