Conversation so far:
Did James Baldwin come from a religious family?
During his teenage years, Baldwin followed his stepfather's shadow into the religious life.
Was James Baldwin happy with his feelings on religion?
However, he became dissatisfied with ministry, considering it hypocritical and racist, and ultimately left the church because his father's expectation was that he be a preacher
What steps did James Baldwin take after leaving the church during his teenage years?
At the age of 14 he attended meetings of the Pentecostal Church
Did James Baldwin like that the the Pentecostal Church?
he converted and became a junior minister.
Was James Baldwin happy with Christianity now?
At 17, however, Baldwin came to view Christianity as based on false premises and later regarded his time in the pulpit as a way of overcoming his personal crises
Did going to church influence what James Baldwin wrote about?
What other things did James Baldwin say about religion besides that christianity was based on false premises?
Baldwin reflected that being in the pulpit was like working in the theatre; I was behind the scenes and knew how the illusion was worked.“

Question: Why didn't he want to go back to church?
Self-contained rewrite: Why didn't James Baldwin want to go back to church?