Religion and African American Political Life

Abstract

Religion is a central force in the lives of the overwhelming majority of African Americans. However, psychology has been conspicuously silent about the role of religion in African American political life. This work endeavors to challenge the longstanding argument that religiosity promotes an escapist, apolitical stance among African Americans. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which our understanding of the link between religion and African American political behavior is complicated by expanded definitions of what is political and by increased attention to various forms of religious participation. Future directions for research are discussed.African Americans have had a long tradition of political activism and protest. This community also has had a long and deep tradition of religiosity. However, mainstream political psychology research has paid relatively little attention to integrating these two traditions. Consequently, although work conducted in sociology, political science, and black church studies clearly demonstrates that religion plays a central role in structuring African Americans' political life (see Calhounwithin psychology we know little about the specific ways in which religion shapes African American people's understandings of and relationships to structures of power.The notion that religion structures social and political life is not new in social science research. Scholars have long asserted that religion organizes people into cohesive social groups and that it maintains the order necessary to preserve societal functioning (Durkheim, 1915;Geertz, 1989). Religion, it is argued, lends coherence to social life by providing people with common symbols, a shared collective identity, and systems of meaning and morality that manifest as a shared world view (Geertz, 1973). In this paper, I endeavor to examine the ways in which religion and its attendant system of meanings and symbols have shaped African American

The Moderating Effects of Culture on Peer Deviance and Alcohol Use among High-Risk African-American Adolescents

“…Religiosity can be an expression of spirituality and refers to adherence to one's religious beliefs, which includes the importance or centrality of one's religious beliefs; an affiliation with a place of worship; observance of relevant rituals; and, participation in religious activities (Mattis, 2000(Mattis, , 2001. Previous research shows that religiosity is associated with lower substance use behavior.…”

Religion and spirituality among bisexual Black men in the USA

“…Throughout slavery, the Jim Crow Era and the Civil Rights Movement, they provided Black people with the social support necessary to cope with crippling racist ideologies that, at best, regarded them as second-class citizens (Frazier 1964, Mattis 2001, Collins 2004. Black churches' influence permeates other social institutions as well as beliefs, attitudes and everyday practices of US Blacks (Frazier 1964, Collins 2004, Ward 2005.…”

“…Even Black persons who denounce Christianity often note religious imagery and ideology as important to their moral beliefs and practices (Dyson 2003, Ward 2005. Religious participation has been shown to increase life satisfaction (Ellison 1993) and personal empowerment (Mattis 2001) for US Blacks. It is also protective against morbidity, mortality (Ellison et al 2000), mental health problems (Ellison and Gay 1990) and maladaptive coping with racial discrimination (Bierman 2006).…”

Urban Destination Selection among African Americans during the 1950s Great Migration

“…Early establishment of a chapter implied a higher level of ongoing race-conscious social service delivery, business development, and job placement support in a county. Historically, African American churches have been centers for social and political action (Lincoln and Mamiya 1990;Mattis 2001 (Wilkins 1934-49), which compiled chapter activities from across the United States. It is a content analysis of reported chapter-specific "external" engagements, or outreach activities during the decade most valued by the national office (e.g., participation in a boycott, lobbying for expanded employment opportunities).…”