There is an interesting point made in Chapter 2 in Chaves’s book, “American Religion, Contemporary Trends,” which is that

“In American society as a whole, increasing interracial contact within American religion mainly means more instances in which African Americans participate in small numbers in predominantly white groups. It does not mean more whites participating in predominantly black groups, nor does it mean a large minority presence in congregations, no matter which ethnic group is in the majority.”

This statement brings up the question of how does race effect religion? It would appear that race and ethnicity effects how and if people participate in religion according to the statement above. It reveals how minorities are proven to be the outnumbered in religious contexts while they are usually outnumbered in many other contexts of life as well. While it would be assumed that religious sanctions and churches are places for many to be welcomed, that is not the case. There has been much progression away from racism and civil rights in America yet there still seems to be disparities between races and racial tension among races. This can be proven and connected to how there have been many reported instances of African Americans having negative encounters with police officers and how groups like the Ku Klux Klan still exist today. Of course, this topic of race and the overarching theme of how it effects society is an extremely complex case and hard to summarize in one post. Yet, I believe it’s important to recognize the similarities and differences of how each race navigates through their religion in American society. How do you think race effects religion?

In Chapter one of McGuire’s book “Religion: The Social Context”, they discuss how different definitions of religion shapes one’s explanation of its role in society. Religion is difficult to put in a box of words when there is a large and varying understanding as to what religion is. Some definitions can be misleading and construe the view of religion in society with a negative connotation when used carelessly. Furthermore, religion is commonly paired with spirituality, in which many argue that they are different or the same.

This point from McGuire reminded me of a discussion I had in my African American Religion and Spirituality class regarding the difference,  and if there is one, between religion and spirituality. In my discussion we attempted to come up with key words under each category that would help define and create an understanding of that category. For instance, under “Religion” we came up with words such as: God/Creator, Common belief system, Set of Rules, Formal, and Traditions/Rituals. On the other hand, under “Spirituality” we wrote words such as: Individualized understanding, Less strict, different approach, Choice, and Higher power. We went back and forth on whether these two words have different meanings, how much their meanings overlap, or whether one was a subcategory of the other. In my opinion and understanding  of the words, the two overlap more than they are separate. I believe that there is a sense of spirituality in religion, but not necessarily a sense of religion in spirituality. Meaning that someone can subscribe to a certain religion and be spiritual but someone being spiritual does not necessarily mean they subscribe to a certain religion.

I think looking at these definitions through a sociological lenses creates an interesting conversation due to the different interpretations that can be presented while doing so.