The legacy of the Black Church: older African Americans’ religiousness

ABSTRACT The pronounced ways religion manifests itself in African-American attitudes, beliefs, and behavior remains one of the most fascinating areas of social gerontology and the sociology of religion. Using Lincoln and Mamiya’s discussion of the Black Church, we theorize that African Americans’ worship and faith become full-bodied whether individuals are affiliated with black congregations or not. Embodiment of the ‘black sacred cosmos’ moves African Americans to a shared worldview that transcends immediate affiliation with a church. Older adults (N = 357) were interviewed in their homes. Most participants (N = 286) were selected from a random sample of the community-based elders in a Northeastern city. “Snowball” sampling recruited 71 additional African American elders. Ages range from 60 to 101 with a mean of 74.1. African-Americans participating in black churches show only somewhat greater faith involvement than African-Americans in other churches when compared directly to one another. Regression analyses show religious involvement transcends African Americans’ church affiliation. African Americans’ worldview is a deeply rooted collective double-consciousness that can be inculcated and maintained outside black church congregations. Active affiliation with a black church seems to only slightly intensify the strength of older black people’s worship practices and faith.