Place OF WORSHIP

I moved to Oakland in 2006, brought here by unaffordable studio rents in San Francisco and a desire for more demographic diversity. Although not a regular church goer – I regard myself as a member of the fastest-growing denomination in the United States, “spiritual but not religious” – I was immediately struck by the number and variety of houses of worship in the city. The peaceful coexistence of so many different spiritual traditions inspired me; in Italy, where I spent much of my youth, such freedom is still elusive. Over the years, however, I began to notice how many of these religious places were closing. Iconic buildings were torn down and replaced by apartment complexes, clearly a more profitable proposition in a market-driven economy. For years I would drive by old churches and think that someone ought to document them before they disappeared. I eventually reached the conclusion that that ‘someone’ would have to be me.

Little did I realize how big a job I was undertaking. My first surprise was discovering that there was no inventory of Oakland religious buildings. After endless unsuccessful public records queries at city, county, state, and federal levels, I set out to build my own database of places of worship.

Then began the real task. For the next two years, I drove all over the city to find and photograph each location, often returning multiple times to ensure optimal visual conditions. Most of the buildings remained locked, opening only for a few hours per week. Some never re-opened at all following the COVID lockdown. One ‘For Sale’ sign after another appeared. Yet I also saw the appearance of colorful vinyl banners announcing the arrival of new religious communities, necessitating more photographic expeditions. At the end of the process I was left with this book, a visual compendium comprising over 460 individual locations.