Charles M. Townsend, PhD

I have finally, after a year of working on it, launched Chicagoreligions.com!

I created the site to document and provide educational resources about the rich religious diversity of the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area. Building of this site was begun as a sabbatical project, and I would like to thank Oakton College for this support. I would also like to profoundly thank the many individuals and communities who have participated in contributing content to this site and have graciously welcomed me and my students from Oakton College into their communities through the years.

It is one of my main goals for the Chicagoreligions.com website to include contributions from scholars of religion, religious leaders, and from members of the Oakton College community, especially Oakton students completing projects in my Religious Diversity in America, World Religions, and Introduction to the Study of Religion classes. It is also one of my main goals for the website that it be ever-expanding. With the expansiveness of the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area, and the high levels of religiosity and religious diversity within the region, it is, of course, not possible to fully map, profile, or discuss every religious community, or even every religious tradition. If you have an idea for a contribution to the site (e.g., religious site profiles, interviews, photo essays, video footage, adding religious sites to the maps), or if you have any suggestions about the existing content on the site, please use the form on the website’s homepage to email the webmaster.

Please use the form on the homepage to subscribe to hear about new content on the site (blog posts and profiles of religious communities).