Kincraft: The Making of Black Evangelical Sociality

Kincraft Todne Thomas explores the internal dynamics of community life among black evangelicals, who are often overshadowed by white evangelicals and the common equation of the "Black Church" with an Afro-Protestant mainline. She outlines how church members cocreate themselves as spiritual kin through kincraft, the construction of one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, which reflects their understanding of Christian familial connection as transcending racial, ethnic, and denominational boundaries.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 16 April 2021
Publisher: Duke University Press

In his book "Kincraft: The Internal Dynamics of Community Life among Black Evangelicals," Todne Thomas delves into the intricate tapestry of community life among black evangelicals, often overshadowed by their white counterparts and the pervasive association of the "Black Church" with Afro-Protestant mainlines. Through extensive fieldwork within an Afro-Caribbean and African American church association in Atlanta, Thomas positions black evangelicals at the very heart of their own religious narrative, highlighting their unwavering spiritual connectedness as a form of insurgent resistance. He unveils how church members co-create themselves as spiritual kin through a process he refers to as kincraft, which involves the construction of one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. This kincraft, rooted in the diasporic histories and migration experiences of church members, reflects a profound understanding of Christian familial connection that transcends racial, ethnic, and denominational boundaries, surpassing the traditional patriarchal nuclear family. Moreover, church members leverage their spiritual relationships as a means to navigate the pervasive racial and ethnic discrimination within the predominantly white evangelical movement. By meticulously charting the functions and significance of kincraft, Thomas unveils the rich and multifaceted nature of black evangelical social life, challenging prevailing narratives of evangelicalism that tend to flatten and simplify this vibrant community.

Weight: 394g
Dimension: 153 x 230 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478011781