A Word: Prayer, Politics, and Power Shifts

Slate Books

Slate Podcasts

Arts

3.8 • 546 Ratings

🗓️ 30 August 2024

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Election season brings politicians of all parties to the doors of Black churches, looking for photo ops, votes, and support from powerful pastors. But the traditional Black church is—like many American faith communities—shrinking. And a growing number of middle-class African Americans are worshiping in more diverse congregations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. Jason E. Shelton, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for African American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. They discuss his new book, The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion, and how changes in African American faith communities are playing out in everything from politics, to education, to music. Guest: Dr. Jason E. Shelton, author of The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion. Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is a word, a podcast from Slate.
0:05.7	I'm your host, Jason Johnson.
0:07.5	The Black Church has long been more than a center of faith for African Americans.
0:12.2	It's been at the heart of education, activism, and politics for generations.
0:16.8	But as black folks find new ways to build community, can the church stay at the center of progress?
0:22.8	The church was the center of everything.
0:24.7	We can't make that case anymore.
0:26.4	Yes, the church is going to be here.
0:27.7	But what will be its influence on black politics?
0:32.7	The history and future of the black church coming up on a word with me, Jason Johnson.
0:37.5	Stay with us.
0:43.6	Welcome to a Word, a podcast about race and politics and everything else.
0:46.8	I'm your host, Jason Johnson.
0:48.2	It's an election year in case you hadn't noticed.
0:51.4	And if you're African American, that means that politicians of all parties
0:54.8	may be making appearances at your community church, posing for pictures with the pastors, shaking
0:59.7	hands after services, and making lots of promises that they may or may not remember once they
1:05.6	get into office. But even outside of election years, the black church has a long history of
1:10.6	social and political organization.
1:12.8	The Black Church has been at the heart of efforts to support successful African-American communities and transform struggling ones.
1:19.4	For more than a century, the Black Church was the place to get spiritual uplift and information, networking, business opportunities, guidance for your family, your neighborhood,
1:29.0	and probably a future spouse. In other words, the Black Church was there to make the Black
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Slate Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Slate Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.