S5, Ep. 15: Black America’s changing religious landscape

Respecting Religion

Much is said and assumed about the religious landscape of Black America, but it’s more diverse than the common narratives. Holly Hollman speaks with Dr. Sabrina E. Dent and Dr. Anthony Pinn about misconceptions and how they brought together Black Church leaders and Black nontheists for key conversations. Tune in for this open and honest conversation about how we can work across racial and religious lines to help all communities thrive.

SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:35): Misconceptions about the religious landscape of Black America

Dr. Anthony Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities at Rice University, and he’s also the Founding Director of Rice’s Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning. He is the author/editor of more than 35 books, and he is also director of research for the Institute for Humanist Studies. Read Dr. Pinn’s full biography here.

Dr. Sabrina E. Dent is the director of the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation, which is the home of our project on Race and Religious Freedom. Learn more about the Center on our website and in this video. She is the editor and contributing author of the book African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities. Read Dr. Dent’s full biography here.

“(Dis)belief: Reimagining the Religious Landscape of Black America” was the topic for the 2023 Religious Freedom Mobile Institute. Click here to read about it in a piece by Jaziah Masters, Research Fellow for the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation.

Segment 2 (starting at 20:13): The connections between religious freedom and racial justice

BJC’s “Religious Freedom Has Been White Too Long: Voices of Black Scholars” was BJC’s 2021 lecture featuring Dr. Anthony Pinn, Dr. Nicole Myers Turner, Dr. Teresa L. Smallwood, and Dr. David Goatley. Watch the event at this link and read a recap on our website.

James Baldwin wrote in The New York Times on Feb. 2, 1969, that the bulk of the country’s white population is beyond hope of moral rehabilitation. “They have been white, if I may so put it, too long.”

Segment 3 (starting at 30:23): Key moments from the conference

As mentioned, Dr. Dent and Dr. Pinn will be co-editors of a forthcoming book of essays from the participants in the conference. Keep up with BJC and the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation for the latest!

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