Stevenson, Christopher

Loudoun's Quilt of Faith, an inter-faith oral history project begun in 2008, explores the importance of religion in the lives of Loudoun County residents. Conceptualized as part of a national oral history project, America's Quilt of Faith, Loudoun's Quilt of Faith is currently the only active component. Project founder and Loudoun County resident Christopher Stevenson, a physicist, teacher, and engineer by training, was inspired by what he sees as the exceptional role religion played, and continues to play, in the cultural and political life of the United States.

Stevenson points to the United States of America's unique religious experience as fundamental in allowing the emergence of America's twenty-first century religious landscape. He also sees the United States' religious experience as markedly different from the rest of the world -- both advanced and developing nations -- where absence of practicing faith and/or lack of tolerance and religious diversity are hallmarks.

Building on the survey work of institutions like the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey, Stevenson seeks to capture a snapshot of the diversity of the American religious experience in a narrative format. He developed a template of twenty-eight questions, ranging from salvation and sin to evangelism to the role of religion in revitalizing American families, to which both leaders and congregants of religious communities were asked to respond. These interviews were digitally audio-recorded. In addition, Stevenson and photographer Kim Graham and Heather Lindsey attended worship services, during which Graham photographed congregations actively practicing their faith.

From the guide to the Loudoun's Quilt of Faith, 2008-, (Thomas Balch Library)