Honored to be quoted talking about Black religiosity in a recent Essence magazine article.  Here’s a small excerpt:

Today, it is not uncommon for Black women to set up ancestral altars, practice yoga, sit in mindfulness meditation, get a Tarot card reading, and still make it to church on Sunday.

When delving into the concept of multiple religious belonging, Rev. Dr. Monica Coleman encourages us to think of it as “being on a religious spectrum,” a more nuanced understanding of spirituality.

Data shows that more and more folks are leaving the church. Pew Research reports that Black Americans, who are demographically the most religious in the country, are turning away from organized religion in large numbers. In one decade, 11 percent fewer Black people considered themselves Christians and seven percent more claimed to be unaffiliated with religion. Another study found that “young Black adults are less religious and less engaged in Black churches than older generations.”

That doesn’t mean they aren’t hungry for spiritual connection. Coleman, an ordained AME minister, an African-American religions professor and the author of Bipolar Faith, says people are looking for spiritual connection beyond traditional churches for a few reasons. Some have had bad experiences in places of worship; others feel like Black women’s experiences aren’t represented enough in church leadership. People who are looking for these spaces to evolve and innovate may be dissatisfied because “churches are institutions and institutions are slow to change.”

Read the entire article, here