Things of the Spirit: Documenting Religion in New England

Before archivists can document a large and complex phenomenon such as religion in New England, they must understand the outlines of its history, particularly in the more recent period. This article reviews the long story of religion in the region and focuses in particular on developments since the Second World War. The more important influences in this time include changes in economic and social life, suburbanization, changing traditions within particular denominations, growing ecumenical activity, and the use of mass media by religious professionals. The article concludes with a series of suggestions for how archivists, both individually and collectively, can identify and preserve documentation for these subjects.