Episcopalians and Race: Civil War to Civil Rights (Religion in the South)
This work is of particular interest to Episcopalians looking for an account of their church and the issues of race. Shattuck, an Episcopal priest and coauthor of The Encyclopedia of American Religious History, details endless facets of the struggles that existed within the church but fails to connect the particular significance of the Episcopal Church with respect to others in civil rights and race issues. The Episcopal Church experienced mass departures of blacks in the South after the Civil War, and black membership sank to levels below two percent by 1933. Segregation prevailed. Nationally, many churches began to address racial issues after 1939, and integration followed in the 1950s. Subsequently, in the late 1960s and 1970s, there was fragmentation and a breakup of the civil rights coalition. The controversial "black power" movement contributed to the breakup, along with questions regarding the distribution of funding and accountability. The church's goal of racial equality also competed with the goal of evangelism and church expansion. To date, many of the conflicts remain unresolved. Recommended for Episcopalians and theological collections.-George Westerlund, formerly with Providence P.L., Palmyra, VACopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.