Blacks and Whites in Christian America

Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions (Religion and Social Transformation) Paperback – October 8, 2012
Author: Visit ‘s Jason E. Shelton Page ID: 0814722768

Review

“I strongly recommend Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions. This is a rigorous study of race as a source of intragroup differences among Protestants and is a must read for anyone interested in the intersections of race, religion, and inequality in America.”-Ryon J. Cobb,Sociology of Religion

“This book will prove to be required reading for those that seek to comprehend the nuances in why religion and ‘race’ have historically created and shaped an outcome that now distinguishes different form of Christianity.”-Choice

“[T]he research is solid and grounded in accepted sociological theory.  Moreover, Blacks and Whites in Christian America is accessible to non-social scientists, which makes it an important read for those involved in interdisciplinary studies.”  -Bryan F. Le Beau ,American Studies

“Blacks and Whites in Christian America is an excellent contribution to the study of race and religion…Shelton and Emerson have written an accessible and informative book that is suitable for multiple audiences, including undergraduate and graduate students, scholars of religion or race, and church leaders and attendees. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in theology, religious studies, or race relations.”-Kendra Barber,Religious Research Association Review

“Blacks and Whites in Christian America is a major sociological examination of religion and race. Jason Shelton and Michael Emerson carefully document and analyze differences between black and white Americans in how they practice and express their Christian faith. They identify the enduring ways that the tragic American habit of racial oppression and privilege has worked to create a distinctive black sacred cosmos. With excellent national survey data and powerful supplemental interviews, they show the key building blocks and dynamics of the racialized religious experience in America. This book is a must read for anyone serious about understanding the interplay of race, religion, and American character.”

-Lawrence D. Bobo,W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of Social Sciences, Harvard

“This book is written in such a way that it is suitable for multiple audiences, with the more complex discussions of multivariate relationships largely available online or upon request. This work can fit well under multiple course offerings, including sociology of religion, culture, and race, as well as religious studies, ethics, theology, ethnic studies, and African-American studies. Undergraduate students will find this work engaging and illuminating. Graduate students in sociology will find this especially useful for its attention to detail, mixed-method approach, and substantive contributions for further hypothesis testing.”-Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

“This is a book about the religion of a people whose ‘back is against the wall,’ to quote Howard Thurmond, the African American theologian. Shelton and Emerson show how blacks, from slavery down to the present, have re-envisioned Christianity—a religion that was once used to give moral legitimacy to slavery—into a faith that has provided meaning, inspiration, and hope as they struggle to affirm their humanity and achieve racial justice.”

-Stephen Steinberg,Distinguished Professor of Urban Studies, Queens College

“What separates this book from previous research is the careful attention that the authors pay to questions of Why? or What does it mean? when presenting these research findings.” -Eric Tranby, American Journal of Sociology

About the Author

Jason E. Shelton is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Shelton’s articles have appeared in Social science Quarterly, Du Bois Review, Sociological Perspectives, Journal of African American Studies, and other respected publications.

Michael O. Emerson is Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. He is author or co-author of several books, including Divided By Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America, Transcending Racial Barriers, and Against All Odds: The Struggle for Racial Integration in Religious Organizations (NYU Press, 2005).

Series: Religion and Social TransformationPaperback: 290 pagesPublisher: NYU Press (October 8, 2012)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0814722768ISBN-13: 978-0814722763 Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 6.2 x 9.2 inches Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1708 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Sociology #3515 in Books > history > Americas > United States > African Americans > Discrimination & Racism #3819 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Sociology > Race Relations
Among the academic works that have appeared in recent years analyzing the racial attitudes of Black and White Christians, none are as influential as Jason Shelton and Michael Emerson’s "Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions." This book is impressive on a number of fronts–in the quantity and quality of the data on they rely on for the project; their meticulous use of in-depth interviews to illustrate their findings; and the implications of these findings for race relations in America. But what really gives "Blacks and Whites in Christian America" pride among scholars of race and religion in America is their claim that the racialization of American Christianity is not static, and varies over time.

Due to a history of marginalization, it is not at all surprising that Shelton and Emerson find Black Christians to be more likely than their White counterparts to apply their faith in ways that challenge the racial structures that produce deleterious inequalities for Black Americans. What is surprising, however, is Shelton and Emerson’s expectation that Christianity would one day be a driving force behind Blacks’ growing reluctance to attribute racial inequality to deficiencies in America’s social structure. Indeed, Shelton and Emerson would not be surprised if, in the coming decades, Black and White Christians cross racial lines to construct a "Beloved Community" that counteracts MLK’s quest for racial justice in America.

On one hand, their claim is disturbing, given that Black Christians (of all groups) should be skeptical of interracial religious groups that chastise Blacks for their alleged backwardness.

Make a Refundable deposite Express HelpLine Your personal information and card details are 100 secure About Us Recent Question User Login Security Privacy Policy Question list Terms of Service the of and to a in Microsoft Research say america feb maps about if may can 7 8 us home 00 no has 9 12 my create week table october call travel tools live licocazo lonerupo wybapogaxi Academia edu Academia edu is a platform for academics to share research papers

Download Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions – October 8, 2012 Free PDF