On June 5, 2020, it was just over a week since a white Minnesota policeman, Derek Chauvin, killed George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man. Protests were underway outside the Central United Methodist Church, an interracial church in downtown Detroit with a long history of activism on civil rights, peace, immigrant rights and issues of poverty.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the church was no longer hosting in-person worship services. But anyone entering his sanctuary that day would have seen long red flags behind the pastor’s lectern, displaying the words “peace” and “love”. A banner that reads “Michigan Says No!” At War ”hung alongside photos of civil rights icons Fannie Lou Hamer and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., as well as workers’ rights activist Cesar Chavez. In keeping with her church’s militant tradition, Senior Pastor Jill Hardt Zundell stood outside the building and preached her church’s commitment to stamping out anti-black racism towards its worshipers and all that has happened. .

In our research in sociology and political science, we have both studied how race, religion, and politics are intertwined in the United States. Our recent book, “Race and the Power of Sermons on American Politics” – written with psychologist James S. Jackson – uses 44 national and regional surveys conducted between 1941 and 2019 to examine racial differences in who hears messages. on social justice in the church. We also examined the correlation between listening to these types of sermons and supporting policies aimed at reducing social inequalities and with political activism.

For centuries, many Americans have imagined that their country has a special relationship with God – that their nation is “a city on a hill” with special blessings and responsibilities. Beliefs that America is exceptional have inspired opinions across the political spectrum.

Many congregations that emphasize social justice embrace this idea of ​​an “alliance” between the United States and the Creator. They interpret it to mean that Americans must create opportunity and inclusion for all – based on the belief that all people are equally valued by God.

In our book, we find that, depending on the issue, between half and two-thirds of Americans support religious leaders taking public positions on racism, poverty, war, and immigration. About a third say they have attended places of worship where their clergy or friends discuss these issues and the importance of acting politically according to one’s beliefs.

African Americans and Hispanics tend to be more supportive of religious leaders who speak out against racism and attempt to influence poverty and immigration policy. Overall, African Americans are the most likely to support religious leaders expressing political views on specific issues, from poverty and homelessness to peace, as we examine in our book.

Black Americans are also more likely to attend places of worship where the clergy and other members encourage them to tie their faith to social justice work. For example, according to a July 2020 Pew Research Center poll, 67% of African American worshipers said they had heard sermons in favor of Black Lives Matter, compared to 47% of Hispanics and 36% of whites.

Race also affects the relationship between hearing such sermons and supporting related policies. When statistically controlling for religious affiliation, political party, and demographic characteristics, attendance at these types of congregations is more strongly associated with white Americans supporting progressive political positions than black Americans and Hispanics.

White worshipers who hear sermons on race and poverty, for example, are more likely to oppose cuts in spending on welfare programs than those who don’t hear such messages at their place of worship. .

This is not the case for African Americans and Hispanics, however, who are just as likely to oppose cuts in social spending no matter where they worship. In other words, while hearing sermons on social justice issues informs or at least aligns with the progressive political attitudes of whites, that alignment is not as strong for blacks and Hispanics.

The clergy in predominantly white worship spaces are often more politically liberal than their followers. Historically, this has resulted in members pushing back when the clergy take public positions that are more progressive than those of their congregation.

This may explain why white parishioners who have chosen to attend congregations where they hear sermons on the topic of social justice tend to be more politically progressive, or more open to sermons that challenge previous views. , than the other white parishioners.

However, when it comes to the connection between hearing sermons and taking political action, race doesn’t matter as much. In other words, taking religious affiliation, party affiliation, and social demographics into account, people who hear social justice-themed sermons in their places of worship are more likely than other Americans to engage in political activism, regardless of race.

For example, in the months following Floyd’s murder, black, white, and Hispanic worshipers who heard sermons on race and policing were more likely than others to have protested for some purpose. whether in the past 12 months, according to data from the National Politics Study 2020. Specifically, white Americans who attended places of worship where they heard these types of sermons were more than twice as likely to attend a manifestation than the other white faithful. Black and Hispanic participants were almost twice as likely to protest as those who attended places of worship where they did not hear sermons on race and policing.

The difference between people who attend places of worship focused on social justice and those who have not attended religious services at all is even more striking. White Americans who heard such messages at church services were almost four times more likely to protest than white Americans who did not attend services; Black and Hispanic Americans were almost three times as likely.

Today, many Americans are pessimistic about inequalities, political divisions, and ethnic conflicts. Yet, as these polls show, congregations concerned with social justice inspire members to work for policies that support their vision of the public good.