evangelical religion and the problem of race in America Emerson, Michael O. 1965- creator Smith, Christian 1960- text bibliography nyu New York Oxford University Press 2000 monographic eng

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x, 212 p. ; 25 cm. "In Divided by Faith, Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith probe the grassroots of white evangelical America, through a nationwide telephone survey of 2,000 people, along with 200 face-to-face interviews. The results of their research are surprising. They learned that most white evangelicals see no systematic discrimination against blacks; indeed, they deny the existence of any ongoing racial problem in the United States. Many of their subjects blamed the continuing talk of racial conflict on the media, unscrupulous black leaders, and the inability of African Americans to forget the past. What lies behind this perception? Evangelicals, Emerson and Smith write, are not so much actively racist as committed to a theological view of the world. Therefore, it is difficult for them to see systematic injustice. The evangelical emphasis on individualism, free will, and personal relationships makes invisible the pervasive injustice that perpetuates inequality between the races. Most racial problems, they told the authors, can be solved by the repentance and conversion of the sinful individuals at fault." "Combining a substantial body of evidence with sophisticated analysis and interpretation, Emerson and Smith throw sharp light on the oldest American dilemma. Despite the best intentions of evangelical leaders and some positive trends, the authors conclude that real racial reconciliation remains far over the horizon."--Jacket. Introduction: religion and the racialized society -- Confronting the Black-White racial divide -- From separate pews to separate churches: evangelical racial thought and practice, 1700-1964 -- Becoming active: contemporary involvement in the American dilemma -- Color blind: evangelicals speak on the "race problem" -- Controlling one's own destiny: explaining economic inequality between Blacks and Whites -- Let's be friends: exploring solutions to the race problems -- The organization of religion and internally similar congregations -- Structurally speaking: religion and racialization -- Conclusion. Michael O. Emerson, Christian Smith. Includes bibliographical references (p. [197]-207) and index. n-us--- Race relations Religious aspects Christianity Evangelicalism United States Relaciones raciales Aspectos religiosos United States Race relations Estados Unidos Relaciones raciales BT 734.2 E53d 2000 261.8/348/00973 0195131401 (alk. paper) 9780195131406 (alk. paper) 00036743 COO 000320 20230410142338.0 76612