Synopses & Reviews
In recent years, as government agencies have encouraged faith-based organizations to help ensure social welfare, many black churches have received grants to provide services to their neighborhoodsand#8217; poorest residents. This collaboration, activist churches explain, is a way of enacting their faith and helping their neighborhoods.
But as Michael Leo Owens demonstrates in God and Government in the Ghetto, this alliance also serves as a means for black clergy to reaffirm their political leadership and reposition moral authority in black civil society. Drawing on both survey data and fieldwork in New York City, Owens reveals that African American churches can use these newly forged connections with public agencies to influence policy and government responsiveness in a way that reaches beyond traditional electoral or protest politics. The churches and neighborhoods, Owens argues, can see a real benefit from that influenceand#8212;but it may come at the expense of less involvement at the grassroots.
Anyone with a stake in the changing strategies employed by churches as they fight for social justice will find God and Government in the Ghetto compelling reading.
Review
and#8220;
God and Government in the Ghetto is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the political significance of contemporary African-American churches. Without a hint of sentimentality or nostalgia for an idealized and#8216;black church,and#8217; Owens lays bare the contributions, challenges,
and contradictions inherent in collaborative efforts among black churches and state structures. It is a refreshing analysis and a timely contribution in a critical moment.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Owens provides a theoretically rich study that considers how activist black churches collaborate with local governments, demonstrating how collaboration can create a and#8216;third waveand#8217; of church-based activism in black communities today.
God and Government in the Ghetto documents this alternative form of activism like no other study has done before. It is an important scholarly work that will inform policymakers and practitioners alike.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;This exceptional book will be crucial for those of us who study black politics. In this era of strange alliances between the Republican right and black Christian fundamentalists, research that illuminates how the formerly contentious and confrontational black church has adapted to certain political realities has cutting-edge relevancy.and#8221;
Review
"A useful account of the operation of FBOs 'in the trenches' in the nation's largest city. Owens strikes a balance between providing details of local situations with a theoretically (and politically) sophisticated account of the motives of various participants. The book is an excellent read and deserves the attention of scholars interested in the problems of urban poverty, and those whose primary focus is the relationship between religion and politics."
Review
"Students of religion and public policy will learn much from this book. . . . With this research, we can now better understand the process of church-state collaboration."
Review
"Using an effective mixture of surveys, interviews, and observation, Owens delineates the benefits and challenges for religious organizations in collaborating with government bodies and agencies to develop housing. . . . Owens develops sound theoretical arguments, moving beyond past definitions of patronage, co-optation, and church-government relationships in general to provide a carefully nuanced set of terms and definitions with pragmatic and philosophical value for the future of faith-based initiatives."
About the Author
Michael Leo Owens is assistant professor of political science at Emory University.
Table of Contents
AcknowledgmentsIntroduction
and#160;
Part One: Scope and Theory of Church-State Collaboration
1and#160;and#160;and#160; The Extent and Support of African American Churches' Collaboration with Government
2and#160;and#160;and#160; The Volition to Collaborate with Government
and#160;
Part Two: The Social and Political Context of New York City
3and#160;and#160;and#160; Public Policy and Black Neighborhood Decline
4and#160;and#160;and#160; Faith in Action for Neighborhood Redemption
and#160;
Part Three: Inside Church-State Collaboration
5and#160;and#160;and#160; Partnering with Caesar
6and#160;and#160;and#160; Acquiring Resources for Neighborhood Resurrection
7and#160;and#160;and#160; Complementing Collaboration
and#160;
Conclusion
Research Note
Notes
References
Index