Pulpits and Platforms: The Role of the Church in Determining Protest among Black Americans

Abstract

This article further specifies the relationship between church-based resources, group identification and political activism among black Americans. Previous research indicates that political communication within churches and activism within the church serve to motivate political participation. Our research suggests that, net of relevant controls, activism within the church does not significantly increase protest politics. A key determinant of protest participation is attending a church that exhibits a politicized church culture, and this effect is contingent upon educational attainment and membership in secular organizations. Hence, the church serves as a crucial context for the dissemination of political messages and exposure to opportunities for protest only for those black Americans with relatively low educational achievement and organizational involvement. Group identification has no effect on protest participation. From the black Civil Rights movement to Poland’s Solidarity movement, from the Nicaraguan revolution of 1979 to the South African anti-Apartheid movement, from Gandhi’s movement for Indian independence to the U.S. Central America peace movements of the 1980s, people and organizations of faith have contributed indispensable resources to mobilization of disruptive political activism. ‐ Smith 1996 Churches, congregations and other religious organizations provide an array of sectarian and secular goods to participants. Through these organizations individuals can receive spiritual guidance, fellowship and sanctuary while building friendships and social networks. In modern western democracies, political views are expressed by the public through both institutional and non-institutional means. Institutional activities (voting, lobbying, petitioning) and non-institutional activities (protest) represent calculated attempts by individuals and groups to communicate their goals and affect change. If that is the case, why do some individuals engage in protest behavior while others do not? What role do religious institutions and beliefs play in producing protest? Research has shown that the decision to participate in protest behavior, or social movement activity more generally, is influenced by pre-existing organizational ties (McAdam 1986; Morris 1981) and contact with participants (Snow, Zurcher and Eckland-Olson 1980). Being asked to participate in an activity, such as political protest, is a crucial step in the process of engaging in protest behavior (McCarthy and Zald 2002). Some churches and other religious organizations engage in political activity as an organization (Beyerlein and Chaves 2003; Chaves 2004; Lincoln and Mamiya 1990) or encourage political action by members