The Spiritual Lives of Young African Americans

by Almeda Wright

Overview

How do young African Americans approach their faith in God when continued violence and police brutality batters the news each day? In The Spiritual Lives of Young African Americans, Almeda M. Wright argues that African American youth separate their everyday lives and their spirituality into mutually exclusive categories. This results in a noticeable division between their experiences of systemic injustices and their religious beliefs and practices. Yet Wright suggests that youth can and do teach the church and society myriad lessons through their theological reflections and actions. Giving special attention to the resources of African American religious and theological traditions, Wright creates a critical pedagogy for integrating spirituality into the lives of African American youth, as well as confronting and navigating spiritual fragmentation and systemic injustice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190664756
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/03/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	841 KB

About the Author

Almeda M. Wright is Assistant Professor of Religious Education at Yale Divinity School. Her research focuses on African American religion, adolescent spiritual development, and the interesections of religion and public life. She is also the editor of Children, Youth, and Spirituality in a Troubling World, with Mary Elizabeth Moore.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Talking Fragments 2. Fragmentation in Context 3. Tapping into the Legacy 4. Does God Care 5. Being Young, Active and Faithful 6. Choosing Life with Youth Conclusion Appendix

Editorial Reviews

"In The Spiritual Lives of Young African Americans, Almeda Wright brings a depth of insight, a warmth while being brutally honest, and a refreshingly holistic understanding of what it means to faithfully teach the Gospel to marginalized and oppressed young people. In so doing, Dr. Wright reminds us all that 'personal' faith is never 'personal,' it touches all aspects of life. When we do not encourage the young to live and proclaim their faith in both the personal and public sphere in a way that leads to activism and justice, we preach only half the story. As a professor of youth and culture, I need Almeda Wright."—Chap Clark, PhD, Author of Adoptive Youth Ministry: Integrating Emerging Generations in the Family of Faith

"Almeda Wright's critical analysis of ethnographic data from the lived experiences of twenty-two black youth, her expert theological handling of theories in the humanities to support her analysis, and her offering of organic practices that enable a black teen to develop an integrating spirituality, invite practical theologians in the church and academy to ponder and practice ministry with youth that leads to seamless manifestations of Christian beliefs and public witness. Thank you, Almeda Wright, for preparing the soil in which the church and academy can plant seeds of hope in the lives of young African Americans." —Evelyn Parker, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University

"At a time when young African Americans have mobilized to confront violence against their bodies and dreams, Almeda Wright's book arrives to offer much needed insight into the complex and inspiring spirituality of black youth. She has captured the testimonies of young people and provided clarity about the deep questions that haunt them and all of us. She has also placed contemporary American youth in the continuum of historical activism reminding us that the Civil Rights Movement was driven, and American democracy was transformed, by teenagers and college students. This is a timely and important report on the voices we need to hear, and the souls we need to cherish."—Robert Michael Franklin, President Emeritus, Morehouse College, Laney Professor of Moral Leadership, Emory University

From the Publisher