Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions by Jason E. Shelton and Michael O. Emerson (review)

Three points of clarification: (1) By the authors’ own reporting, Jason Shelton (University of Texas–Arlington) was the principal author of Blacks and Whites in Christian America, (2) By “Christians” the authors really mean Protestants; and (3) Quite often, when speaking of white Protestants, they focus on evangelicals. The authors limited their study to Protestants because of their historical dominance in American religion and because of the high proportion of African Americans among Protestant denominations. Perhaps a fourth point would be that the authors make little effort to differentiate between various Protestant denominations except to focus on evangelicals, whose attitudes and beliefs are more fully developed and easier to study than non-evangelicals.

The authors examine the racial differences in how black and white Protestants think about and practice their religious faith. As found in previous literature on the subject (e.g., C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence and Mamiya), the authors find significant differences, which they explain by focusing on African Americans and the “building blocks” of Protestant faith: black Protestant faith is active and experiential; black Protestant faith is critical to survival and coping with everyday trials and tribulations; black Protestant faith is mystical and includes folklore and cultural components derived from the African Diaspora; black Protestant faith is confident and comprehensive; and black Protestant faith is committed to social justice and equality.

As in earlier studies, the authors argue that the cumulative effects of past and present racial discrimination and inequality have influenced African American religious beliefs. Where the authors’ study diverges is that whereas most previous studies have been done by historians and theologians, these authors are sociologists. Their sources consist of two major national surveys—the 2006 Portraits of American Life Study, mostly, and secondarily, the General Social Survey of the same year, plus focus groups and personal interviews. This, they argue, allows them “to move beyond theory and conjecture” (3). (Appendices A and B provide important information on sampling procedures, sample characteristics, as well as valuable tables.)

The authors show that as a result of their history and present situation, African Americans remain committed to a unique form of Protestantism, on which they rely to protect them against the consequences of racial discrimination and inequality,” as well as believing that it has been that faith that has allowed them to survive, even make it, in the United States—“but for the grace of God” (26). The related, and perennial, issue of individualism versus structuralism in addressed in chapters four and eight.

This reviewer would have liked to have seen the use of data drawn from more than one year, which might, perhaps, have pointed to some differences over time—if only in degree. But otherwise, the research is solid and grounded in accepted sociological theory. Moreover, Blacks and Whites in Christian America is accessible to non-social scientists, which makes is an important read for those involved in interdisciplinary studies (4).