Race and Religious Faith

This seminar pursues sociological analysis at the intersection of race-ethnicity and religion. Our focus in this class centers on American congregational communities (whether it be church, temple, or mosque)— especially in relation to processes of immigration and transnationalism. Our class begins with a broad discussion of Will Herberg’s classic discussion on the American assimilation of religious groups and the formation of the historic Black Church in America. The class continues with an analysis of religion and migration at the turn of the 20th Century. The transformations of both black churches and non-native, ethnic churches throughout the mid-century will quickly culminate into an examination of the relations between race-ethnicity, religion, and broader civic society today. The course ends with a look at the rare achievement of multi-ethnic/multi-racial religious communities.

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