Religion in the Lives of African Americans

Robert Joseph Taylor, MSW, Ph.D., is the Sheila Feld Collegiate Professor of Social Work and the Associate Dean for Social Work Research at the University of Michigan. He is a Faculty Associate with the Program for Research on Black Americans at the Institute for Social Research. He is also a faculty associate with the Center for Afro-American and African Studies and affiliated with the Center for Research on Race, Religion and Health at the Institute for Social Research. He is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Marriage and the Family. Professor Taylor has published extensively in two major areas (informal social support networks and religious participation). His work on the informal networks investigates the role of family, friends, and church members as sources of social support to adult and elderly Black Americans. His work in the Sociology of Religion investigates the demographic correlates of religious participation among black adults and black elderly. He has been Principal Investigator of several grants from the National Institute on Aging which examine the role of religion in the lives of Black and White elderly adults. He has been Co-Principal Investigator with James Jackson on several grants from the National Institute of Mental Health on the correlates of mental health and mental illness among black Americans. He is Co-Principal Investigator for the National Institute on Aging grant, "Church-based Assistance and Older Blacks." He has edited two books Family Life in Black America (1997) and Aging in Black America (1993) with James S. Jackson and Linda M. Chatters. Linda M. Chatters, Ph.D. holds a joint position as Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Education at the School of Public Health and the School of Social Work. She is also a Faculty Associate with the Program for Research on Black Americans, Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. The major focus of Dr. Chatters' research is the study of adult development and aging as it relates to the mental and physical health status and social functioning of older persons in a variety of social contexts (i.e., the family, church, and community). A particular emphasis of this work has been the investigation of various dimensions of religious involvement among the African American population. She is also interested in assessing the independent contributions of relevant religious, personal, and social status factors on well-being among elderly and non-elderly populations. She is Principal Investigator for the National Institute on Aging grant, "Church-based Assistance and Older Blacks." Dr. Chatters is the author of "Religion and health: Public health research and practice" which appeared in the Annual Review of Public Health (2000). Jeff Levin, Ph.D., M.P.H., an epidemiologist and former medical school professor, is the pioneering scientist whose research beginning in the 1980s helped to create the field of religion and health. He left a successful academic career in 1997 to devote his full-time efforts to writing, research, and consulting. He was the first scientist to systematically review and critique the empirical literature on the health effects of religious involvement. His research has been funded by several NIH grants, and he also has received funding from private sources, including the American Medical Association and the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Dr. Levin has served as chairman of the NIH Working Group on Quantitative Methods in Alternative Medicine, as president of the International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine, and as an editorial board member of several peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, The Gerontologist, Journal of Religious Gerontology, and Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. He has authored over 130 scholarly publications, and over 120 conference presentations and invited lectures and addresses, mostly on the role of religion in physical and mental health and aging. He has published four other books: God, Faith, and Health: Exploring the Spirituality-Healing Connection, Religion in Aging and Health: Theoretical Foundations and Methodological Frontiers, Faith Matters: A Festschrift in Honor of Dr. David B. Larson, and Essentials of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and lives in rural Kansas.

Foreword - James S. Jackson Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Goals for the Book Data Sources Format and Scope of the Volume Part I: Patterns of Religion 2. African American Religious Participation Overview of Chapter The Interface Between Religiosity and Spirituality Models of Religious Involvement in Black Churches Socio-Historical Role of the Church Religious Denomination Denominational Switching Generational Differences in Religious Denomination Conceptualization and Measurement of Religious Involvement Structural Determinants of Religious Involvement Profile of Religious Participation Black-White Differences Gender Differences Age Differences Marital Status Differences Education and Income Differences Regional and Urban-Rural Differences Denominational Differences in Religious Participation Physical Health Differences Religious Participation Among Elderly Blacks Religious Participation Among Blacks Adolescents Religious Noninvolvement Religious Artifacts Religious Identity Focus Group Findings Prayer Reading Religious Materials Religious Programming Meditation Religious Participation in the Context of Work Living in a Christ-Like Manner Volunteerism as a Form of Religious Participation Organized Religious Activities Focus Group Summary Chapter Summary and Conclusion 3. The Frequency and Importance of Prayer Research on Prayer Research on Prayer Among Black Americans Requests for Prayer Focus Group Findings Communication and Relationship With God God as Best Friend Meditation and Prayer Prayers of Thanksgiving Prayers of Petition Prayer as Intercession Writing Down One's Prayers The Importance of Prayer The Power of Prayer Focus Group Summary Chapter Summary and Conclusion Part II: Functions of Religion 4. Prayer as a Source of Coping Coping With Personal Problems Prayer and Coping With Life Problems Religious Coping and Caregiving Religious Coping and Health and Illness Harmful Effects of Religious Coping Prayer and Coping Among Black Americans Focus Group Findings Prayer Is an Ongoing Coping Activity Interpersonal Conflicts on the Job Prayer Gives Strength, Wisdom, and Guidance Prayer Reduces Stress Spiritual Component of Prayer Loving Your Enemies/Forgiveness Power of Prayer Focus Group Summary Chapter Summary and Conclusion 5. Use of Ministers for Personal Problems Clergy and Formal Support Systems Clergy as a Coping Resource Survey Data on the Use of Ministers Focus Group Findings Patterns and Circumstances of Using Ministers Deciding to Forgo Clergy Help Choosing to Disclose Difficult Problems Focus Group Summary Chapter Summary and Conclusion 6. Church Members as a Source of Social Support Church-Based Informal Social Support Family and Church Support Profile of the Receipt of Support From Church Members Focus Group Findings Church Members Provide Instrumental and Emotional Support Importance of Building Relationships With Church Members Importance of Having Church Members Provide Support Similarity Between Church Members and Family Members Formal Programs in the Church Reciprocal Relationships Giving Help to Church Members Difficulty in Giving and Receiving Help Focus Group Summary Chapter Summary and Conclusion 7. Negative Interaction Among Church Members Research on Negative Interaction Negative Interaction Among African Americans Negative Interaction Among Church Members Survey Findings on Negative Interaction Among Church Members Focus Group Findings Church Members, Like Family Members, Have Conflict Gossip Avoiding Gossip Generational Differences Conflict Over Special Programs and Board Meetings Losing Church Members Because of Conflict Avoiding Conflict Feeling Unwelcome Helping People Feel Welcome Other Concerns Problems in Church Do Not Inhibit Attendance and Participation Focus Group Summary Chapter Summary and Conclusion Part III: Effects of Religion 8. Impact of Religion on Physical Health Research on Religion and Health Religion and Health in African Americans Religion and Morbidity in Study Samples of Whites and Blacks Religion and Morbidity in African American Study Samples Religion and Mortality in African Americans Religion, Race, and Health: Theoretical Considerations 9. Impact of Religion on Mental Health and Well-Being Religion and Mental Health: Clinical and Population-Based Research Religion, Aging, and Psychological Well-Being Religion, Mental Health, and Well-Being in African Americans Studies in Which Effects of Race Are Controlled Religion and Mental-Health Outcomes Religion and Psychological Well-Being Studies That Investigate Racial Differences African American Study Samples Religion and Depressive Symptoms Religion and Positive Well-Being Religion, Race, and Mental Health: Directions for Future Research 10. Conclusions and Implications Chapter Review and Implications Current Research Projects Appendix A: Data Sources Appendix B: Multivariate Tables Recommended Reading and Resource Guide References Author Index Subject Index About the Authors

"This is a blockbuster of a book on black religion. Comprehensive, systematic, analytic, and very well written, it sets a new high water mark in the social scientific study of religion and life in the African American Community. It will be especially helpful in the teaching of undergraduate and graduate courses in African American history and culture." -- Andrew Billingsley "This is an outstanding book that provides the reader with an in-depth understanding of religion in the lives of African Americans. Both historical and empirical research findings provide a context for understanding religion in the lives of African Americans. Most importantly, this book highlights the role religion plays in affecting emotional and physical health processes and outcomes among African Americans. The contributions of this book to the discussion of religion in the social and behavioral sciences will last for years!" -- Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, Ph.D. "Taylor, Chatters and Levin have produced an excellent study on a neglected topic. The authors use a multidimensional framework to examine both quantitative data from several large-scale surveys of African American life and qualitative interviews from 13 focus groups. The book has helpful appendixes on data used, references, and an extensive bibliography. Highly Recommended." -- L.H. Mamiya * CHOICE *