Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Religion has traditionally been a central force in African American life (Baer and Singer 2002), with religious organizations providing a locus for individual spiritual growth and collective community support and political action. According to Lincoln and Mamiya, the Black Church “has no challenger as the cultural womb of the black community” (1990:8). African American religiosity thus merits in-depth study for its past significance and potential for continuing to foster social change.
Crawford argues that “the transformative power of the black church has been weakened by the eroticism of affluence, education, and ‘opportunity’” (2002:109) as African Americans have gained socioeconomic status. This paper will analyze studies featuring race, class, and gender to explore the effect of status attainment on African American women’s spiritual activity and religious participation.
One might expect that as African Americans’ socioeconomic status improves, the need for external support would decrease and therefore both religious and spiritual activity might diminish as well. Isolation, racism, and other negative consequences of increased social status however, actually heighten women’s spiritual and religious activities and involvement. The changing needs of African American women as they attain status have implications for women themselves, for black churches, and for social movements.