Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
Divided by Faithby Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith has an   ingenious, troubling argument. "[E]vangelicals desire to end racial division and  inequality, and attempt to think and act accordingly. But, in the process, they  likely do more to perpetuate the racial divide than they do to tear it down."  Emerson and Smith, who conducted 2,000 telephone surveys and 200 face-to-face  interviews in preparing this book, argue that evangelicals have a theological  world view that makes it difficult for them to perceive systematic injustices in  society. In particular, evangelical emphasis of individualism and free will seem  to predispose them to believe that most racial problems can be solved if  individuals will only repent of their sins.  Therefore, many well-meaning  strategies for healing racial divisions (such as cross-cultural friendships)  carry within them the seeds of their own defeat.Divided by Faithalso  includes a brilliant, concise history of evangelical thought about race from  colonial times to the civil rights movement. Clearly written and impeccably  researched, this book ranks among the most compassionate and critical studies of  contemporary evangelicalism.--Michael Joseph Gross--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.