In the March 2009 issue of Sociological Spectrum—a Special Issue on Religion and Race in 21st Century America—editors Darren E. Sherkat and Christopher G. Ellison introduce the issue’s theme:
Religious institutions and commitments are of exceptional importance in the United States, and ethnic and racial divisions have helped make religion a vital resource for marginalized communities. American religion has always been fractured by racial and ethnic divisions, and ethnic churches, both Protestant and Catholic, were a vital part of the immigrant experience for Europeans. Added to this mix of religious diversity came African American religious institutions, which developed slowly under slavery, but blossomed quickly after emancipation. Over the 20th Century, the vitality of African American religion was forcefully demonstrated in the largely successful movements for civil rights. In contrast, ethnic churches serving European immigrants became assimilated into an English speaking culture, and 20th Century immigrants from Europe largely eschewed their native languages and cultures; however, the lifting of the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1965 opened the United States to people from nations all over the world. Immigrant streams from Latin America have been particularly influential, and Spanish language churches and services (both Protestant and Catholic) are now common throughout the United States. Asian immigrants have also brought with them a distinctive religious flare; and, while some hail from non-Christian traditions (which have also flourished), the majority adhere to Christianity. This special issue highlights contemporary research and theorizing about race and religion in the United States.
Read the full introduction here, and access the full issue here (Note: subscription required to access full text).