A Theology of Brotherhood: The Federal Council of Churches and the Problem of Race

A Theology of Brotherhood examines how the Federal Council of Churches acted as a crucial conduit for progressive views on race in the first half of the twentieth century, contributing to meaningful progress in some white Protestant churches and propagating a civic nationalist tradition grounded in a "universal brotherhood" and belief in the equality of all human beings.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2024
Publisher: New York University Press

A Theology of Brotherhood delves into the profound impact of the Federal Council of Churches Department of Race Relations on the dissemination of "progressive" views on race during the first half of the twentieth century. Through extensive archival research, Curtis J. Evans reveals that the Council's theological approach to race, particularly its anti-lynching campaign, played a significant role in fostering meaningful progress in some white Protestant churches regarding racial issues. This book underscores the invaluable contributions of the Council's religious vision in expanding and propagating a civic nationalist tradition rooted in a profound belief in universal brotherhood and the equality of all human beings. In contrast to a racial nationalist ideology that viewed America through ethno-racial lenses, the Council's religious perspective offered a distinctive religious voice to visions of a pluralistic democracy, racial and ethnic diversity, and social and political reform. By filling a critical gap in the literature on lynching in the early twentieth century, which often concentrates solely on the NAACP and other secular organizations, A Theology of Brotherhood adds a valuable new perspective to our understanding of this tragic period in American history.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781479820443