Asian American Evangelicals in Multiracial Church Ministry

Religions

Kathleen Garces-Foley¹ 

[1] Department of Theology & Religious Studies, Marymount University, 2807 North Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA 22207, USA

关键词: evangelicalism;    Asian Americans;    multiracial church;    racialization;   

DOI  :  10.3390/rel4020190

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Since the 1990s, evangelical efforts to create multiracial churches (MRCs) have grown exponentially. This article analyzes the experiences of Asian American evangelical ministers leading MRCs. Through interviews we explore how Asian American evangelicals came to be involved in MRC-ministry and how they approach issues of racial diversity in this context. We compare the racial attitudes of Asian American evangelical ministers leading MRCs with those of White and Black evangelicals delineated in Emerson and Smith’s Divide by Faith. Rather than conform to the colorblind approach of many White evangelicals, the majority of our respondents utilize structural explanations for social inequality and promote a colorconscious approach to diversity. We conclude that Asian American evangelicals utilize a unique framework for MRC-ministry, what we call a ‘racialized multiculturalism,’ that has much to offer American evangelicalism.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.