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Collaborative playbuilding is an emerging arts-based research design that uses playwriting and playbuilding as tools of inquiry for artists and researchers to investigate sociological questions, dealing with such matters as racial and class conflict, youth offenders, school safety, stereotypes of urban teenage girls, women and obesity, and social justice. Researchers use the design to generate and disseminate data; however, the literature reveals a lack of studies that show how the playbuilding process – the actual structuring and crafting of the performance script – can be used as a primary means of data analysis. In this article, I discuss my study, in which I used collaborative playbuilding to investigate why some African Americans leave the Black Church and choose not to return. I argue that although I conducted my research using traditional qualitative methods (i.e. interviews, questionnaires, observations and a focus group), I relied on the playbuilding process to serve as an act of crystallization, which provided me with creative distance to analyse the narrative data in interesting ways, yielding findings not previously seen in the literature and thus supporting the efficacy of the arts-based design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photo essay offers a first-hand account of the mysterious burning of Roanoke Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on December 22, 1963, told Mr. Elmer Beard, the church deacon. Chronicling the church's rise from a clandestine gathering before the Civil War to an influential activist institution during the 1960s civil rights movement, Beard offers insight into Roanoke's prophetic mission encompassing a commitment to justice despite reprisals. The essay brings forth the narrative of the Hot Springs NAACP chapter and its leaders, such as Reverend James Donald Rice, the pastor of Roanoke, during the time of the fire. The dynamics of Black placemaking, labor, and kinship are discussed. Beard's story describes the power of Black imagination in the context of a southern Black church. Roanoke's persistent presence is grounded in the audaciousness of formerly enslaved people who dared to create sanctuary affirming their humanity and divinity as well as future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam is a small minority Muslim community with affiliated mosques and study groups throughout the United States. Minister Farrakhan is a well-known and divisive religious leader. Indeed, he is regarded by many as a dangerous anti-Semite. Much less is known about the rank-and-file members of the NOI who work tirelessly to improve socioeconomic conditions in their respective communities. Minister Farrakhan has engaged in interfaith activism throughout his career. His followers have likewise made significant efforts to work across religious and racial lines. This paper concerns itself with the social activism and inter-faith outreach efforts that NOI members make to transform their communities and to ease tensions where they exist within these communities. The paper argues that such efforts have earned the NOI a degree of prestige and respect while also providing Minister Farrakhan with an ever-growing platform in some communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis of 84 interviews with female Black Church leaders and members from Atlanta, GA, examined how women in Black churches construct definitions of, and identities in relation to, HIV narratives about men on the down low. We analyse these narratives as collective memories, through the theoretical lens of memory and trauma studies, by identifying how women understand themselves as the victims of men on the down low transmitting HIV; describe this as a painful experience; make public claims about this experience; and draw on theological understandings to make these claims. The narratives articulate how Black communal modes of meaning making have been disrupted by the HIV epidemic and assign responsibility for HIV transmission to men on the down low, who are perceived to be engaged in risky sexual behaviour. We discuss these results in relation to HIV education and prevention and suggest health educators can engage Black church leaders by understanding these narratives as forms of countermemory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The institution of the black church in America is centered around two things: the people and their events. Very little scholarship has been documented about the physical buildings that became homes for the people and host to their events. These early church houses became the first evidence of a constructed material culture for formerly enslaved persons in America. The design and construction of black church houses provided enslaved as well as free persons of color the opportunity to physically create buildings that would become the center of African American life, beginning as early as the late 18th century and reaching to the present. Coupled with this exercise of the creation of architectural placemaking is the defining and application of the term "sacred space". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When athletes give interviews about their success, they tend to iterate on themes of self-assuredness, dedication to a goal, positive thinking, and divine blessing. By examining the history of prosperity theology in the U.S., we can see one possible source of this rhetoric. Prosperity theology teaches believers that God wants them to be healthy and wealthy and that the means to achieve health and wealth are at a believer's fingertips. All one must do is give faithfully to one's church, never waver in one's belief that God will grant health and wealth, and act as though one has already received the blessing one desires. While scholars have long critiqued prosperity theology for obscuring structural inequalities, particularly those that impact people of color, the philosophy remains popular in many congregations across the U.S. and is nearly ubiquitous in black churches. Examining similarities in the rhetoric of prosperity gospel and athletes' narratives of their success shows that these narratives also contribute to the faulty logic of meritocracy by ignoring systemic inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black communities in rural areas offer a number of strengths including familial networks, resource sharing, and access to spiritual communities. These regions also face a host of challenges related to economic, educational, and social disadvantages, which leads to exacerbated psychological and emotional distress among residents. However, access to mental health professionals and services is largely limited in rural communities. Thus, community stakeholders, such as Black pastors and churches, could serve as collaborative partners with counselors to promote mental health awareness and increase supports in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects all populations, regardless of race, education, or socioeconomic status, but Black women experience higher rates of IPV (43.7%) in comparison with White women (34.6%). Although evidence indicates that faith-based organizations and clergy play key roles in preventing and responding to IPV among Black women, limited research has been conducted in this area, and existing studies have focused on Black male clergy leaders' response to IPV. Using transcendental phenomenology, we interviewed 12 Black female clergy regarding their role as responders to IPV among Black women in their congregation. Each clergy leader participated in a face-to-face interview. Data analysis followed the modified Van Kaam seven-step process. One overarching theme emerged— We Are Our Sister's Keeper, as well as three primary themes: Support Advocate, Spiritual Advisor, and Roadblocked Leader. The themes indicated that Black female clergy respond to the emotional and spiritual needs of Black women despite barriers (e.g., few outside resources, limited support from the Black church). The themes also suggested that clergy lack knowledge and training for responding to IPV. However, Black female clergy are passionate about providing holistic, culturally centered care by bridging the gap between the church and the community to better serve Black women who have experienced IPV. Findings support the importance of incorporating spiritual and emotional healing among this population when providing care and services. Further research is needed to develop interventions, such as a faith-based toolkit that incorporates community resources and guidance to better support Black female clergy leaders' ability to respond to IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oral history interview with Mr. Elmer Beard, a longtime political activist, politician, and educator, is part of a series of interviews for a study on Black church burnings, arsons, and vandalism from 2008 to 2016.Mr. Beard gives historical context to recent Black church arson with a focus on the mysterious burning of Roanoke Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on 22 December 1963. On 9 March 2018, the interview took place in Hot Springs at the current church site. The dialogue starts with biographical questions and evolves into details about Mr. Beard's experience growing up in a racially segregated society, particularly in south-central Arkansas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deaths from unintentional injuries are the seventh leading cause of death among older adults and falls account for the largest percentage of these deaths, with individuals aged =85 particularly vulnerable. Physical activity can reduce frailty and prevent falls; however, many elders are not physically active and women, ethnic minorities, and those with low education levels are the least active. Moreover, experiences of racial discrimination can lead to increased stress and unhealthy adaptive behaviors, and the cumulative effects of age and race related stressors have been shown to negatively impact the physical and mental health of elderly African Americans. Thus, participation in public health research has been deemed essential to identify effective interventions that will improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities among African American elders. We discuss a the creation and implementation of a fall-prevention exercise program created for older African Americans based in a Black Church in Philadelphia that has been a successful university/community partnership for the last 8 years. A qualitative evaluation of participant experience was carried out using focus groups to examine why there has been such a high degree of compliance. Key themes related to the program's sustainability are physical and psychosocial benefits of attendance, fellowship among exercise participants and a therapeutic alliance with the instructor. It is our hope that this discussion and evaluation can inform other faith and community-based health promotion programs for minority elders, while also contributing to on-going efforts to reduce health disparities among at risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between dimensions of religiosity and attitudes toward the professional treatment of mental health among African American church attendees. In 2018, surveys were administered to African American attendees of four churches in northeastern Pennsylvania and central New Jersey (n = 435). The independent variables assessed were three dimensions of religiosity: subjective (perceptions and attitudes), organizational (public displays), and non-organizational (private practices). The Multidimensional Measure of Religious Involvement for African Americans scale assessed each dimension of religiosity. The dependent variable was measured through the 20-item scale, Attitudes Toward Mental Health Treatment Scale. We conducted multivariate linear regression with robust standard errors to adjust for clustering effects by church. Covariates adjusted for in the analysis were age, sex, denomination, education, marital status, depressive symptoms, location, and support. Most participants were aged 50 and older (79.3%). They resided in urban (9.89%), rural (2.3%), or suburban (87.8%) settings. Participants who reported high subjective religiosity endorsed less positive attitudes toward professional mental health treatment in comparison with participants reporting low subjective religiosity (β = − 1.36, 95% confidence interval [− 2.35, − 0.39], p < 0.05). No association was found between organizational or non-organizational religiosity in relation to attitudes toward professional mental health service use. Our findings suggest that greater subjective religiosity may be related to lower engagement in and utilization of professional mental health services among African Americans in the northeastern United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People who use violence against their intimate partner(s) sometimes use religion as a mechanism of control. However discussion on religious/spiritual (R/S) abuse in the context of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPV/A) has been limited within the academic literature. The attack on one's spirituality or faith is unique enough to explore separately from typical psychological or emotional abuse. Because many Black women experiencing IPV/A report consistent use of religious faith and/or clergy as key sources of support, qualitative interviews were conducted with Black/African-American clergy (N = 13). The purpose of this study was to capture their perspectives on religious or spiritual related IPV/A. Using interpretative content analysis and thematic analysis, findings revealed that clergy viewed R/S abuse as a spiritual problem and characterized the behavior as a mis-interpretation of God's Word. Participants emphasized the importance of victim-survivors knowing the Word of God for themselves as a resource to counter R/S abuse. Informants highlighted a need and desire for clergy-specific training, yet data analyses also revealed that fellow clergy members perpetration of R/S abuse was a barrier to addressing the problem. Understanding religious leaders' perspectives on this specific form of abuse expands knowledge on how IPV/A is exerted and potential intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contributions of theologians like James Hal Cone and Katie Geneva Canon to the broader theological project of Black liberational theology allows for a rich discourse on what it means to be Black in the world, In doing this, memories of trauma must be engaged head on in ways that they become anamnetic moments for reimagining a new way of being human that is inclusive of all persons, Consequently, this work argues for the reimagination of the Black Church and its theologies that speak to Black experiences in ways that do not reinstate the hegemonic power of Whiteness as a mode of being in the world. Furthermore, the content and hermeneutic spaces shaping Black theology is critiqued with the intent to create a healthy space for the experiences of Black members of the LGBTQ+ community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Americans are more likely than other racial/ethnic groups to rely on spiritual and religious resources for mental health support. As such, counselors must seek unique ways to reach and understand Black communities. This article provides an overview of Black Americans' help‐seeking behaviors, the significance and culture of the Black Church, and a framework for counselors and counseling researchers to form effective partnerships to conduct community‐based participatory research initiatives that will produce empirical outcomes and promote culturally responsive mental health and wellness programming in Black communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current technological and scientific developments of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) signal great leaps in human intellect and creativity. At the crossroad of great steps into the future, a future that will be determined by science and innovation, the smeared bond between theology and science recoils upon theological consideration of human intellect. Black liberation theology has stressed a change in paradigm, which takes oppression, class and intellect seriously. This research seeks to elaborate that a general acceptance of human intellect and science tends to ignore that modern-day science is part of Western civilisation. The Western world view remains dominant in the world. It will be argued that while the 4IR is important, the intellect, politics, economics and need for a 4IR, however, remain synonymous with the need of the West to ‘civilise’ the world. Institutions such as the World Economic Forum are Western institutions and still represent the goals of Western civilisation. This article argues that great leaps in science must be measured by the Christian church’s commitment to eschatology and a building of an egalitarian society on earth. The article seeks to explore if the notion of a black church can be instrumental in the 4IR for focusing on the human condition and humanity of the oppressed in Africa and Latin America. The article argues that the church’s role is to witness great change in society and it must be prepared to actively respond to great societal change posed by the 4IR. Contribution: This article focuses on theology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as such, cutting across disciplines. This allows engagements to occur in all disciplines, proving the relevance of theology today. The contribution of this research is its emphasis on the role of theology within techno-political development.

Abstract Background To investigate whether religious service attendance and faith leaders’ messages about HIV and same-sex relationships are associated with acceptance of HIV prevention strategies. Methods Multivariable Poisson regression assessed whether attending religious services, faith leaders’ messages about HIV and same-sex relationships, and supportiveness of those messages were associated with HIV testing, as well as knowledge of and willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among 868 Black Americans [45% men; M (SD) = 34 (9) years-old] in the 2016 National Survey on HIV in the Black Community, USA. Results Participants who reported attending services monthly and/or hearing faith leaders’ messages that were supportive of same-sex relationships had a significantly higher likelihood of willingness to use PrEP (adjusted Rate Ratio[ARR] = 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09, 2.48) and aRR = 2.19; 95% CI = 1.35, 3.55, respectively), independent of HIV risk. Homophobia was significantly associated with higher likelihood of being aware of PrEP and testing for HIV testing in the past 12 months. Conclusions Faith leaders’ messaging can influence Black Americans’ perceptions and uptake of HIV prevention strategies. Faith institutions and faith leaders should be involved in designing and disseminating HIV prevention strategies.

Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, is affecting the African American community at alarming rates, as African Americans have a greater risk of dementia than other races. The African American church has traditionally been a safe haven where families go for support and healing. However, many churches are not equipped to support families living with dementia. The purpose of this study was to explore ways African American churches can be dementia-friendly to support families affected by dementia. A qualitative descriptive design was used to collect data from 12 African American community stakeholders. Participants were inclusive of caregivers, church leaders, community members, and service providers. During the semi-structured interviews, participants were asked to share characteristics of a dementia-friendly church. Thematic analysis was performed using data from interviews, researcher's journal, and field notes. Responses described a dementia-friendly church as (a) resourceful ; (b) welcoming and friendly ; (c) inclusive and comfortable ; (d) understanding and accepting ; and (e) c oncerned about personal well-being. This study has wide implications not only for African American churches and families, but also for families living with dementia outside of African American faith communities. These findings allow for faith leaders and churches to begin the process of becoming dementia-friendly, thus enabling congregations, communities, and persons with dementia to continue living in meaningful ways. In conclusion, churches are a source of religious support and provide access to resources for families in difficult times. Thus, it is imperative for African American churches to explore ways to best support and meet the needs of families living with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worship, black worship, preaching, black preaching, social justice sermons, black church, social justice ministry, unarmed blacks, contemporary worship, police killings, mass incarceration They tell the story of a seminary professor who contacted Williams, the social justice minister at Trinity United Church of Christ (UCC) from 2002 to 2008, and requested to bring his class to dialogue about social justice activities at the church. Keywords: Worship; contemporary worship; black worship; preaching; black preaching; social justice sermons; black church; social justice ministry; police killings; unarmed blacks; mass incarceration EN Worship contemporary worship black worship preaching black preaching social justice sermons black church social justice ministry police killings unarmed blacks mass incarceration 42 48 7 02/24/21 20210101 NES 210101 The phrase in the title refers to the lyrics of Harrison E. Johnson's gospel song, "Lord, Help Me to Hold Out.". [Extracted from the article]

Thus, wherever the reader stands with respect to worship music, be clear that this writer is trained to sing and enjoys all forms of Christian worship music and probably can relate to your worship music experience and perspectives in some measure. Emotional Baggage, Older Members, and Traditional Music It is necessary to explore briefly the emotional baggage that may hinder some pastors and ministers of music from using hymns and conventional sacred music in worship alongside contemporary music. Keywords: Music; gospel music; Black church music; Black church; contemporary worship; message music; classical sacred music; praise teams; hymns; Black church choirs; evangelism; evangelistic music; music education; musical training; Black music education EN Music gospel music Black church music Black church contemporary worship message music classical sacred music praise teams hymns Black church choirs evangelism evangelistic music music education musical training Black music education 32 41 10 02/24/21 20210101 NES 210101 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. [3] As an exercise, try this: Take the music and lyrics of any contemporary worship song sung in your church (if applicable) and juxtapose them next to the music and lyrics of the multiple verses of any traditional hymn and reflect on the meanings of the two songs. [Extracted from the article]

This study investigates the use of religious coping among African Americans and Black Caribbeans with 12-month DSM-IV psychiatric disorders. Data from the National Survey of American Life is used to examine three indicators of religious coping: 1) using prayer and other spiritual practices for mental health problems, 2) the importance of prayer in stressful situations, and 3) looking to God for strength. Three out of four respondents who had a mental health problem reported using prayer as a source of coping. Agoraphobia and drug abuse disorder were associated with the importance of prayer during stress. Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder were more likely to report that prayer was important during stressful experiences and that they looked to God for strength. These findings contribute to the limited, but growing body of research on the ways that African Americans and Black Caribbeans cope with psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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