Yale University Library Research Guides: Resources for Racial Justice: Racial Justice & the Church

Racial Justice in Practice

The Pentecost Paradigm: Ten Strategies for Becoming a Multiracial Congregation (Online) by Jacqueline J. Lewis; John Janka Born of the authors' work with The Middle Project, an institute that prepares ethical leaders for a more just society, The Pentecost Paradigmis a collection of wisdom and best practices.
Towards Liturgies That Reconcile: Race and Ritual Among African-American and European-American Protestants by Scott Haldeman Traces the development of Protestant worship among whites and blacks, showing that the following exist in tension: African American and European American Protestant liturgical traditions are both interdependent and distinct; and that multicultural communities must both understand and celebrate the uniqueness of various member groups while also accepting the risk and possibility of praying themselves into an integrated body, one new culture.
United by Faith: The Multiracial Congregation as an Answer to the Problem of Race (Online) by Curtiss Paul DeYoung; Michael O. Emerson; George Yancey; Karen Chai Kim In United By Faith, a multiracial team of sociologists and a minister of the Church of God argue that multiracial Christian congregations offer a key to opening the still-locked door between the races in the United States.

Doing Justice: Congregations and Community Organizing by Dennis A. Jacobsen Introduces people of faith to congregation-based community organizing rooted in the day-to- day struggles and hopes of urban ministry
Faith in Action: A Guide for Activists, Advocates, and Allies by The Faith in Action Writing Collective Offers quick dives into a range of topics, from racial justice to environmental concerns, from LGBTQIA equality to Native people's rights, from women's equality to disability rights, from mass incarceration to immigration. Each topic includes informative visuals and data, as well as practical suggestions for what you can do to make a difference in your community.
Silencing White Noise: Six Practices to Overcome Our Inaction on Race by Willie Dwayne Iii Francois Drawing from his anti-racism curriculum, the Public Love Organizing and Training (PLOT) Project, Francois encourages us to move from a "colorblind" stance and mythic innocence to one that takes an honest account of our national history and acknowledges our complicity in racism as a prelude to anti-racist interventions.
Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community by Leah Gunning Francis Seminary professor Leah Gunning Francis was among the activists at Ferguson, and her interviews with more than two dozen faith leaders and with the new movement's organizers take us behind the scenes of the continuing protests.

A Spirituality for Doing Justice: Reflections for Congregation-Based Organizers by Dennis A. Jacobsen The book includes introductory chapters to describe his own spiritual practice around icons, several chapters on different figures and what can be learned or gleaned from them as one prepares for justice work. The final section provides a month-long daily office for doing justice, which participants may adopt in their life of prayer and faithful reflection.
Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy by Rachel Ricketts A guidebook illustrates how to engage in the heart-centered and mindfulness-based practices that will help activists fight white supremacy from the inside out, in our personal lives and communities alike.
The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change by Brenda Salter McNeil; Rick Richardson Provides a model of racial reconciliation, social justice, and spiritual healing that creates both individual and communal transformation.

The Church and the Racial Divide: Reflections of an African American Catholic Bishop by Edward K. Braxton In speeches, homilies, and pastoral letters—in some cases prompted by police shootings and the Black Lives Matter movement—Bishop Braxton lays out a vision of healing for the church and the nation, informed by a quest for conversion, justice, and reconciliation.
Birth of a Movement: Black Lives Matter and the Catholic Church by Olga M. Segura Birth of a Movement presents a radical call to dignity and equality for all people. It examines the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, the church’s involvement with slavery, including the decision by Georgetown University to make amends for its past actions, and the Catholic Church’s response to the recent deaths of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor.
The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christianity (Online) by Michael O. Emerson; Glenn E. Bracey II This book argues that the majority of white Christians in America are believers in a "Religion of Whiteness" that shapes their faith, their politics, and more. The Religion of Whiteness raises the perpetuation of racial inequality to a level of spiritual commitment that rivals followers' commitment to Christianity itself.