Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions

7. Far-Reaching Faith: Evidence of an Inclusive Religious Doctrine

133 7 Far-Reaching Faith Evidence of an Inclusive Religious Doctrine Beginning with this chapter, we expand our investigation beyond widely recognized domains of Christianity. While some of the topics that we examine are closely associated with Christianity (such as beliefs about angels and miracles), others are typically not associated with Christianity (such as beliefs about astrology and reincarnation ). Our analysis of these religiously related though not distinctly “Christian” topics helps us to specify the extent to which religious identities among black and white Protestants are shaped by thoughts and practices beyond the boundaries of conventional (i.e., mainline or evangelical) Christianity. As will soon become clear, most of the high-ranking clergy members whom we interviewed expressed at least some form of dismay or bewilderment with the findings presented in this chapter. Some even conveyed great consternation. It is safe to say that the results discussed here are the most controversial and contentious thus far. For instance, several of our interviewees (most notably Rev. Robinson, Pastor Thomas, and Rev. Washington) declined to answer questions about our survey findings until we answered their questions about our research methodology. They were so taken aback by some of our results that they asked us to provide details on how we selected our study participants and analyzed the data. Our goal in this chapter is to develop the Mystery and Miraculous building blocks of black Protestant faith: (3) black Protestant faith is mystical and expresses an appreciation for the mystery in life; it includes folklore and cultural components deriving from the African Diaspora, the consequences of racial inequality in America, and non-Christian SheltonEmerson_pp001-270.indd 133 SheltonEmerson_pp001-270.indd 133 7/30/12 10:02 AM 7/30/12 10:02 AM 134 Far-Reaching Faith religions, and (4) black Protestant faith is confident and comprehensive; the miraculous is ordinary and the ordinary is miraculous. We have already established that African American Protestants are more resolute in their faith that God exists than are white Protestants and that they subscribe to a “definitive” interpretation of the Bible that inspires them to pray, to attend worship services, and to engage in certain religious activities more often than white Protestants do. However, the results that we are about disclose reveal the complexity of the African American Protestant religious tradition: the black sacred cosmos is also theologically far-reaching. That is, it often embraces beliefs and actions associated with non-Christian religions and alternative supernatural beliefs that conflict with traditional church teachings. Consequently, by the end of this chapter, it will become abundantly clear that the black sacred cosmos is simultaneously both theologically broad and definitive. It is definitive in that the African American Protestant religious tradition includes a conservative attentiveness to and focus on Christianity that, statistically speaking at least, largely surpasses that of white Protestants. Yet it is also broad in that the African American Protestant religious tradition includes a liberal welcoming space for faith-based beliefs and actions that many passionate believers (both black and white) do not consider to be “Christlike.” Thus, while the African American Protestant religious tradition toes a very hard line with respect to its dedication and devotion to conventional Christianity, it also incorporates seemingly contradictory or atypical practices and convictions. Is Being a “Good Person” Good Enough? One especially revealing finding sets the tone for explaining the openmindedness , tolerance, and recognition of diversity that is intrinsic to the African American Protestant religious tradition. The PALS contains a survey item that gauges the extent to which study participants “agree” with the following statement: “It doesn’t much matter what I believe so long as I am a good person.” This question sheds light on whether the Protestants in our study place greater emphasis on (a) SheltonEmerson_pp001-270.indd 134 SheltonEmerson_pp001-270.indd 134 7/30/12 10:02 AM 7/30/12 10:02 AM Far-Reaching Faith 135 their religious beliefs or (b) a favorable evaluation of their personal character irrespective of their religious beliefs. Before proceeding, it is necessary to provide context for interpreting the results for this item. We are confident that the vast majority of evangelical Christians would “disagree” with the aforementioned statement, and they indeed do.1 They probably do so for two reasons. First, generally speaking, evangelicals believe that a person’s religious beliefs and religious affiliations are critical to determining whether they themselves or some other person is worthy...