The Contemporary Black Church - Religion and Social Transformation by Jason E Shelton Paperback

Book Synopsis

Charts the changing dynamics of religion and spirituality among African Americans

Recent decades have ushered in a profound transformation within the American religious landscape, characterized by an explosion of religious diversification and individualism as well as a rising number of "nones." The Contemporary Black Church makes the case that the story of this changing religious landscape needs to be told incorporating more data as it applies specifically to African Americans.

Jason E. Shelton draws from survey data as well as interviews with individuals from a wide variety of religious backgrounds to argue that social reforms and the resulting freedoms have paved the way for a pronounced diversification among African Americans in matters of faith. Many African Americans have switched denominational affiliations within the Black Church, others now adhere to historically White traditions, and a record number of African Americans have left organized religion altogether in recent decades. These changing demographics and affiliations are having a real and measurable effect on American politics, particularly as members of the historic Black Church are much more likely than those of other faiths to vote and to strongly support government policies aimed at bridging the racial divide.

Though not the first work to note that African Americans are not monolithic in their religious affiliation, or to argue that there is a trend toward secularism in Black America, this book is the first to substantiate these claims with extensive empirical data, charting these changing dynamics and their ramifications for American society and politics.

Review Quotes

"The Contemporary Black Church is an important book for anyone looking to learn how the freedom to worship and congregate can bring America together in unity and harmony today."--Dr. Opal Lee, Community Activist and the "Grandmother of Juneteenth"

"The Contemporary Black Church provides a rich and important take on Black life in America in the twenty-first century and its prose will appeal to scholars and undergraduate students alike."-- "Journal of Contemporary Religion"

"[Shelton] makes especially strong arguments in his discussion of assimilation and resistance to the dominant understandings of national identity."-- "CHOICE"

"Jason E. Shelton has given us a thoughtful, comprehensive look at the myriad forces shaping the post-civil rights era Black Church in the United States. What many perceive on the ground, he tracks in these pages with scholarly insight and analysis. The Contemporary Black Church is a helpful guide to the contemporary religious scene unfolding in society today."--Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University

"Jason Shelton has made a deep scholarly dive into the world of the Black church. He [draws] from his experience growing up in Black churches, in his familial home in Ohio and in Los Angeles... and searching as an adult for the right spiritual space for his family."--Adelle Banks "Religion News Service"

"The time has come to put down old stereotypes about the Black Church and understand it for what it is today. This book does exactly that, with the wow factors of careful analysis of contemporary trends and the astute interpretation of the changes by a leading voice in the field. This book is a game changer."--Michael O. Emerson, author of Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America