People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States (Hardcover)

by Michael O. Emerson (Author) "THIS BOOK is an in-depth study of contemporary multiracial religious congregations..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, African Americans, Rodney Woo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Emerson's book brings careful sociological attention to those questions and offers both words of hope and words of caution." -- Nancy T. Ammerman, Social Forces

Review
The book's bottom line: Multiracial churches are rare, hard to sustain and worth the trouble.
(Sam Hodges Dallas Morning News )

People of the Dream is arguably the most complete examination to date of an important but thin slice of religious life in the United States. . . . By virtue of its scope, its originality, and its ability to captivate, it will surely set the standard in the study of multiracial congregations for some time to come.
(James C. Cavendish Contemporary Sociology )

The book's solid scholarship will satisfy the academy, and its accessibility will also make it useful in the church.
(Deborah J. Kapp Journal of Church and State )

People of the Dream is filled with individual stories sympathetically told and quantitative data competently analyzed; it faces tough issues and offers reasonable grounds for hope. It is by far the best book on its topic that I know of.
(R. Stephen Warner Christian Century )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (April 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691124515
• ISBN-13: 978-0691124513
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #847,059 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Plus and the Minus of multi-racial churchers, August 22, 2006

By	Dwight Brown "hopeful realist" (Kerrville TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Michael Emerson did a lot of careful research for this book, and he tells the truth, some of it told in spite of the obvious fact that he has a strong bias in favor of interracial endeavors.
To begin with, according to his reasonable definition, only 7% of American congregations are interracial, and all is not peaches and cream with these. In a chapter called "Shadows" Emerson relates candidly the difficulties of melding diverse cultures and traditions, especially in religion, and says in so many words that some of those trying to do this often wonder if it worth the effort.
Emerson identifies two dominant religious traditions in America - English European and African American. The big differences are in the areas of preaching and music, which reflect still deeper differences concerning the roles of reason and emotion. Sometimes seemingly minor arguments finally can be seen as rooted in these cultural differences.
Many of the churches Emerson studied are, indeed, predominantly either European or African in their style, and often joining an interracial church means accepting the dominant style of that particular church, even though it may not be your own religious tradition at all.
When all is said and done, this book is a very valuable study of the real sticking points in American race relations, and if the churches who are trying to do something about this can keep on learning, we might all benefit greatly.
I recommend the book mostly because it tells the truth in an area of American life, race relations, where the truth is often hidden or ignored. Dwight Brown

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read information, November 6, 2006

By	Kenton K. Cecil - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book may be the most extensive study of multiracial congregations in the USA, but we really need more insight. Perhaps in 20-30 years we will have a better idea about how to accomplish racial healing.