The Black Megachurch

Tamelyn N. Tucker-Worgs is Associate Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.

1 Introduction: Answering the Knock at Midnight 2 ""Get on Board Little Children, There's Room for Many More"": The Black Megachurch Phenomenon 3 Theological Orientation as Motive to Black Megachurch Public Engagement 4 ""Progress Not Protest"": Black Megachurches and Community Development 5 Dual Gendered Spheres and Public Engagement in Black Megachurches: Women Carving Out Space to Make a Difference 6 Conclusion: Black Megachurches and Black Politics in the Twenty-First Century Notes Bibliography Index

"... this is unquestionably the definitive study of African American megachurches." -- Choice (2012, 49:8) "Tucker-Worgs advances a progressive framework for evaluating the impact of black megachurches while providing one of the most comprehensive profiles of these churches available to date." --R. Drew Smith, Director, Center for the Church and the Black Experience, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary "One cannot underestimate the importance of this topic and Tucker-Worgs's study.... Tucker-Worgs not only sophisticates our view of black megachurches by emphasizing the variation among them, but considerably adds to our understanding of the current and future face of the 'black church.'" -- Sociology of Religion (2012, 73:1) " The Black Megachurch is the best empirical study of black megachurches and politics. Covering 149 churches, Tucker-Worgs astutely shows their wide variety and relates their theological orientation to the types of public engagement they undertake." --Lawrence Mamiya, Professor of Religion and Africana Studies on the Mattie M. Paschall Davis and Norman H. Davis Chair, Vassar College ... a well-researched and assessable survey of 147 black mega-churches. This book is highly recommended for those interested in understanding a phenomenon that will not be disappearing anytime soon. -- Lewis Brogdon, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary -- Religious Studies Review A timely analysis of a much discussed but rarely understood phenomenon. Finally, we have a book on religion and black politics that begins to provide some rigorous insight into the black megachurch movement. The Black Megachurch will be an important resource for years to come. -- Fredrick C. Harris, Professor of Political Science and Director for the Institute in African-American Studies, Columbia University