It is a narrative of how some of America’s core values and assumptions and its reliance on market principles contradict and work against other esteemed values.

First, ethnic and racial groups, in and of themselves, are amoral. Second, people prefer to worship in their own cultural groups. Third, denominations and congregations that use the “homogenous units principle,” which means that volunteer organizations function best when composed of just one cultural group, grow and are more vital.

“Christianity is not just reconciliation to God but reconciliation with people. You start out at the personal level and you see people as people. We also address systemic injustice, looking for ways to help either advocate for people who don’t have a voice or help make the playing ground a little more equal.”

But, as the church grew, something happened to its mixed-race nature—it disappeared, and the congregation became nearly all-African American. Perhaps because the pastor was black and thus practiced a nonwhite style of preaching and leadership, perhaps because white Americans are accustomed to being the majority, a pattern developed in who visited

The sin of “indifference” is noted by many of these early advocates of racial reconciliation. To sit on the sidelines while unequal and oppressive forces harm part of the Christian community is a grievous wrong.

we explore the ways in which culture, values, norms, and organizational features that are quintessentially evangelical and quintessentially American, despite having many positive qualities, paradoxically have negative effects on race relations.

As a nation, Americans have devoted extensive time and energy discussing religion and race. Questions like, “What is the proper place of religion?” “What is the role of race?” “In what direction is each heading and what does this mean for us as a nation?”

we were led to move beyond the old idea that racial problems result from ignorant, prejudiced, mean people (and that evangelicals are such people).

“Because of our cultural backgrounds,” said Nancy, a white Presbyterian woman, blacks and whites “might not enjoy the same kinds of worship.