The Black Church in the Post-Civil Rights Era

by Anthony B. Pinn

Pinn describes themes in the history of the Black Church as well as the major beliefs and forms of worship that define this tradition. He then focuses on the practices of the Black Church, especially as it has engaged in issues of economic development and justice, and struggles with such issues as the full inclusion of women, sexuality, and health. Throughout, Pinn highlights the important and creative tension between "spiritual" and "mundane" concerns to which the Black Church must respond and by which it is shaped.

Genres: Religion

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Alex]

A good primer on the recent history of the black church, with connections made back to its roots. It can feel at times like a litany of names, initiatives, conventions, and references, but Pinn's diligence and specificity pays off by the end - reading the timeline he places in the back of the book, I felt like I had gotten a fairly comprehensive and detailed survey of goings-on in between the 70s and the year 2000, around when it was published. His progressive sympathies are evident and appreciated: he spends much time writing on environmental racism and the church's efforts to combat it in the 90s, as well as the spotty history of women's claim on authority roles, and of course the church's fraught path toward commercialism with the advent of megachurches.

[J Thomas]

Quick read. Awesome snapshot of the black church and its needed focus into perpetuity.