Editing Religion in Louisville, Kentucky

{{short description|Overview of religion in Louisville, Kentucky}}

'''Religion in [[Louisville, Kentucky]]''' includes religious institutions of various faiths including [[Christianity]], [[Judaism]], [[Islam]], [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Sikhism]].

[[History of the Germans in Louisville|German immigrants]] in the 19th century brought not only a large Catholic population, but also the [[Lutheran]] and [[Evangelical Synod of North America|Evangelical]] denominations, which are represented today in Louisville by the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]], the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]], and the [[United Church of Christ]], respectively.

The [[Louisville Kentucky Temple]], the 76th temple of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] ([[Mormons]]), is located in nearby [[Pewee Valley, Kentucky|Pewee Valley]] (mailing address of [[Crestwood, Kentucky|Crestwood]]), and serves members of the church in Kentucky, Southern Indiana, parts of Ohio and West Virginia.

The city is also the home of three [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian Universalist]] churches: All Peoples Unitarian Universalist Congregation (formerly Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church<ref>{{Cite web|title=All Peoples Name Change Journey "Reckoning with Racial Justice" – All Peoples|url=https://www.allpeoplesuu.com/all-peoples-name-change-journey-reckoning-with-racial-justice/|access-date=2021-12-19|language=en-US}}</ref>), First Unitarian Church, and Clifton Unitarian Church.

The [[Jew]]ish population of around 14,200 in the region<ref>{{cite book |author1=Boxer, Matthew |author2=Brookner, Matthew A. |author3=Aronson, Janet Krasner |author4=Danzing, Benita |author5=Feinberg, Matthew |author6=Friedman, Ilana |author7=Magidin de Kramer, Raquel |author8=Mangoubi, Daniel |author9=Martin, Adam |author10=Pasternack, Eleora |author11=Saxe, Leonard |author12=Smith, Jill |title=2021-22 Study of Jewish Louisville |url=https://scholarworks.brandeis.edu/esploro/outputs/report/2021-22-Study-of-Jewish-Louisville/9924154070301921?institution=01BRAND_INST#file-0 |publisher=Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University |access-date=30 December 2022 |format=Research report}}</ref> is served by five [[synagogue]]s. Most Jewish families emigrated from [[Eastern Europe]] at the start of the 20th century; around 800 [[History of the Jews in the Soviet Union|Soviet Jews]] have moved to Louisville since 1991.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |title=Some synagogues eye broader styles of worship |date=September 28, 2003 |author=Smith, Peter}}</ref> Jewish immigrants founded Jewish Hospital in what was once the center of the city's Jewish district. From 2005 to 2012, Jewish Hospital merged with two Kentucky-based Catholic [[health system|healthcare system]]s to form [[KentuckyOne Health]], which later in 2012 announced a partnership with the [[University of Louisville]] Hospital. A significant focal point for Louisville's Jewish community is located near [[Bowman Field (Kentucky)|Bowman Field]], where there are two Orthodox synagogues (including [[Anshei Sfard (Louisville, Kentucky)|Anshei Sfard]], founded in 1893), the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family and Career Services, and an affordable housing complex. One of the most historically prominent members of Louisville's Jewish community was Justice [[Louis Brandeis]], a Louisville native who became the first Jew to sit on the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in 1916.

The [[Hindu temple]] of Kentucky<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kytemple.org/ |title=Hindu Temple of Kentucky |publisher=Kytemple.org |access-date=August 15, 2011}}</ref> opened in suburban Louisville in 1999, and had about 125 members and two full-time priests in 2000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hindu temple greets visitors |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |date=December 3, 2000 |author=Haukebo, Kirsten}}</ref> The temple was renovated and rededicated in the summer of 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.louisville.com/content/week-celebrations-surround-hindu-temple-rededication-visual-art |title=Week of celebrations to surround Hindu temple rededication |publisher=Louisville.com |date=June 3, 2011 |access-date=August 15, 2011}}</ref>

Various [[Buddhist]] [[Sangha (Buddhism)|sanghas]] and organizations exist in and around the Louisville area. These include The Louisville Community of Mindful Living (formerly "The Sangha of Louisville"),<ref>{{cite web|author=Mark Stein |url=http://www.sanghalou.org/ |title=Louisville Community of Mindful Living |publisher=Sanghalou.org |date=June 6, 2010 |access-date=August 15, 2011}}</ref> the Drepung Gomang Center for Engaging Compassion,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drepunggomangusa.org/ |title=Drepung Gomang Center for Engaging Compassion |publisher=drepunggomangusa.org |access-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref> and the Vietnamese Buddhist Association of Louisville.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pluralism.org/profiles/view/74436|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228032057/http://pluralism.org/profiles/view/74436|archive-date=February 28, 2010 |title=Center Profile |publisher=Pluralism.org |date=May 1, 1996 |access-date=August 15, 2011}}</ref>

[[Taoism|Taoist]] practices in Louisville are represented by a local branch<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kentucky.usa.taoist.org/ |title=Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA&nbsp;— Louisville, KY |publisher=Kentucky.usa.taoist.org |access-date=August 15, 2011}}</ref> of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taoist.org/content/standard.asp |title=Taoist Tai Chi |access-date=December 6, 2011}}</ref>

Since 1996, the [[Center for Interfaith Relations]] has hosted Festival of Faiths,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.festivaloffaiths.org/|title=Festival of Faiths|access-date=April 30, 2019}}</ref> a multi-day national [[Interfaith dialogue|interfaith]] gathering featuring music, poetry, film, art and dialogue with internationally renowned spiritual leaders, thinkers and practitioners. ''[[HuffPost|The Huffington Post]]'' ranked the Festival of Faiths sixth in its list of America's top spiritual travel destinations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Avenue|first=Lori Erickson Next|date=2015-07-16|title=The 8 Top Spiritual Sites In America|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-8-top-spiritual-sites-in-america_n_55a6b6f2e4b0c5f0322c2be9|access-date=2020-06-14|website=HuffPost|language=en}}</ref>