Religion, Race, and Justice in a Changing America

Religion, Race, and Justice in a Changing America, a Century Foundation book, explores the changing nature of civil rights initiatives, which has led to a more complex relationship between religion and civil rights... Today, the quest for improving the lives of racial minorities and pursuing justice is less a "movement" and more a collection of diffuse efforts to fend off a retrenchment from affirmative action and nondiscrimination laws, improve economic prospects for residents of low-income urban neighborhoods, and organize grassroots political activities. In that context, the relationship between religion and civil rights has become less obvious.

Throughout the volume of essays, the authors look back at the civil rights tradition, offer new insights from diverse religious communities, and look ahead to the role of religion in a new movement. These essays examine civil rights efforts of Protestant denominations, Jewish groups, evangelical organizations, and Islamic and Buddhist groups, among others. The book does not make specific policy recommendations for future action, but rather begins the process by setting forth the larger contexts in which the various religious traditions and understandings are placed, with the hope that these will raise some other, fresh questions and issues about the application of religious principles to contentious issues of public policy.

• Preface by Preston N. Williams and Holly J. Lebowitz

• "Introduction: Religion and Racial Justice" by Gary Orfield

Part I. The Civil Rights Tradition: The 1960s Movement and Today's Realities

• "Another Day's Journey: Faith Communities Renewing American Democracy" by Robert M. Franklin

• "The Jewish Basis for Social Justice" by Reuven Kimelmen

• "The Beloved Community: An American Search" by Charles Marsh

• "Religion, Civil Rights, and Civic Community: The Public Role of American Protestantism" by Robin W. Lovin

Part II. Broadening the Base: New Insights from Diverse Traditions

• "Buddhism and Civil Rights" by David W. Chappell

• "Evangelical Cooperation in the Cause of Racial Justice" by James W. Skillen

• "Latino Popular Religion and the Struggle for Justice" by Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J., and Christopher Tirres

• "An Islamic Perspective on Civil Rights Issues" by Amina Wadud

Part III. Looking Ahead: Spiritual Resources for a New Movement

• "Civil Rights and the Common Good: Some Possible Contributions of Religious Communities" by David Hollenbach, S.J.

• "From 'Beloved Community' to 'Beloved Communities': Inviting New Faith Partners to the Civil Rights Struggle" by Ann Chih Lin