Historical Survey of Communities in Toronto
New Communities and the Institutional Church

Publisher:  SHINAKI: A Unicorn Hunters' Guide, Toronto, Canada
Year Published:  1975   First Published:  1975
Pages:  2-6 pp  
Resource Type:  Article/Report/Letter
Cx Number:  CX3

A review of the phenomenon of community in the city in the sixties and seventies.

Abstract:  Edited selections from the newsletter.

We can better understand the relationship of the new Christian communities in Toronto with the Denominational Churches when we review the history of the whole phenomenon of communities in the city. The early communities of the sixties developed an atmosphere conducive to the growth of the present communities. There were many and showed us how tough it is. The communities of the early seventies, of which there are also many, reveal a continuing array of diverse attempts ranging from highly political, to therapeutic and esoteric communities. More recently there have emerged whole networks of communities of like mind: among these would be Therafields, the evangelical network of communities springing from the Institute for Christian studies. Finally there are all sorts of work collectives which operate out of or have developed towards a communitarian character. Among these should be included GaTT-FLY and Canadian News Synthesis. Looking at this landscape we can ask what all these groups have in common: among them the rejection of the common social assumptions. Out of our own gatherings to reflect together we have contended with a whole range of questions about alienations, power decisions, and the path of our journey. Our answers to these questios point to community as both response and context. They also point to a continuing need to broaden the context.

Subject Headings

• Christian Organizations
• Collectives
• Communities
• Religious History of Canada
• Religious Life