Religion, Ethnic Minorities, and Women

1. Religion, Ethnic Minorities, and Women “For many minority communities, it is difficult to separate religious culture from the culture of the minority group.” Kenneth Wald I. African-American Protestants • Black churches • History: due to racial segregation, black churches and denominations were established separately from white ones. Theology was __________ the point of division. • Black freedom – Black church movement = first black freedom movement. • Became medium for civil society in the black community (absence of other viable institutions). Many secular activities were facilitated through black churches as a result (e.g., taxes, voter registration, publishing, entertainment, etc.) • Religion as basis for cultural cohesion – “The black church” refers to hundreds of disparate, but largely united, organizations.

2. Political Activism – black Protestants have a long tradition of viewing faith and church as vehicles of political and social change (e.g., MLK and the Southern Leadership Conference; Question: should he/they have been rebuked for mixing faith and politics?). Due in part to black theological parallels between the Hebrew _____________ and American slavery/racial discrimination as well as Christian equality before God. “I have seen the promised land…” and “Go tell it on the mountain, let my people go…” and “I have a dream…” • Political behavior - Black voting since the end of mandatory racial segregation and the Civil Rights act has reflected this unity. • Turnout - Frequent black churchgoers are more likely to vote than others (same as non-blacks). Their #’s only slightly less than whites. • Explaining the political effectiveness of Black churches:

3. Church environment = platform for political learning. Unique historical position; high esteem extended to ______________ (Hattiesburg signs); unabashedly political polemically; site for explicit and implicit political networking. • Source for fostering social capital – churches foster the development of interpersonal trust, access to networks, beliefs about community responsibility (applies to churches in general). • AA church culture has always been theologically politically engaged – prayer, song, dialogue, rituals, and Christian imagery. This group of religious adherents are more likely than any other to have and attend church meetings about politics. • Political liberalism – interesting contrast with Mormons. BP’s are theologically _____________ but politically liberal. Mormons not theologically orthodox (classically speaking), but politically conservative. BPs are mostly conservative, like white evangelicals, on moral-cultural issues (e.g., gay marriage; school prayer, etc.), but nothing else (even slippage here regarding abortion). PID: Blacks are the most __________ voting bloc in America (favoring Dems); again largely facilitated by the church, especially in the south (half of all AAs live in the South). Significant surge when Jesse Jackson ran in 1984 & 88. In 2004, over 65% identify as DEM and over 90% voted for Kerry).

4. Common to have Dem candidates visit black churches due to their dependence upon the black vote. If the GOP suddenly received _____% of the black vote, they would virtually always win the White House (10% would usually do). • Changes in Black-Protestant politics? • Frustration with perceived limited progress (we are a “tool” of the Dem Party). Always has been an element calling for more aggression and independence politically (Malcom X, Black Panthers, Nation of Islam). • Church attendance among AAs _____________, especially among young, men, and poor. • Takeover of secular political leaders in politics (ministers no longer monopolize political power) • Nature of black church has changed - increasingly caught up in the larger charismatic/pentecostal movement which is more apolitical (e.g., TD Jakes); now 15-20% of AAs are no longer members of BP churches; many are joining white churches who are far more welcoming than decades ago. • Latinos – most difficult group to generalize about due to constant religious and demographic changes. Originally, many scholars assumed that religion was not an important factor in Latino politics. But that view is changing.

5. Catholicism among Latinos (4.5% total pop and 60% of Latinos). The Spanish conquistadores brought its Catholicism and its language to the Americas in the 16thC. Latino Catholics immigrated to North America prior to the Puritans. Emphasize Catholic Marion doctrines and family a bit more than other Catholics. But… • Many others are cold towards Catholicism; associate it with historical conquest; lack of Spanish-speaking masses; American Catholicism has been associated with Irish immigrants; have been relatively few Hispanic Catholic _________ere and abroad; first Mexican-American bishop installed in 1970; religious focus different among Latino Catholics and Euro-American Catholics • Defections and declining replacement: % of Latino Catholics is ________ (despite Catholic growth among other people groups). • Protestants and Latinos – Protestants, especially evangelicals, charasmatics, and pentecostals have made significant inroads especially among native born Latinos (have Latino services, Latino youth groups, etc. Pentecostals and charasmatics (those who stress miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit and non-elitism in church) have historically been the most multi-racial and racially tolerant and Latinos have responded (estimated 5m Latino Pentecostals). Today, Latinos are _____% Catholic, 23% evangelical, 7% mainline, 9% unaffiliated.

6. Latino faith and politics – far less likely to see or use church as a vehicle for political action (more likely to set up secular political organizations for that; church deals more with the strictly spiritual). But some see political potential among Latinos because of its population growth in America (37m, 150% growth since 1980). More likely than blacks to disapprove of churches expressing political views. 1. For the GOP: Latinos, especially the more religious and protestant ones, are more socially conservative on abortion, homosexuality, and “family values” issues. 70% favor school prayer and 60% favor school vouchers. Bush has done well among Latinos compared to blacks (44% in 2004, 34% in 2000; 63% Latino P; 31% Latino C). He included many Latinos among his friends and appointees both in DC and Texas. Latinos are mostly Democratic, but Latino Protestants are divided and evangelical Latinos are slightly __________ Republican. • For the DEMs: More Latino Catholics are Democrats (45%) but most voted for Kerry (56%); but among the “most committed” to religion and evangelical these numbers fall dramatically; Latino Protestants are more likely to identify than Catholics to be Republican. Latinos are generally more liberal on “non-morality” issues like government _______________ spending, especially as income goes down; So, it would be good politically for DEMs if Latinos got poorer, less religious or more nominally Catholic, and turned out more in elections.