Abstract
Trees find strength in being rooted. Do humans need similar stability and placedness? This thesis explores the questions: “Is there a mandate for being placed?” and if so, “What is the impact on the local church?” In the transient, unrooted culture of the USA, the concept of place is easily lost. Individuals and whole communities are detached and disconnected. In this thesis, place will be explored through the lenses of Christian scripture, Christian theology, and social and environmental sciences. The final chapter will then explore the impact of placedness for the local church. In the first chapter, I will look at the biblical mandate for placedness, mainly focusing on the Hebrew Scriptures. The second chapter will address a theological mandate, with an emphasis on sacramental theology. The third chapter will look at the mandate for place that informs some secular studies , mainly in the fields of social sciences and environmentalism. The last chapter will then address how the local church can intentionally seek the sense of place, or placedness, that is mandated by these different studies.
