Diversity and Inclusion Resources
Current literature and media platforms are rich with opportunities to explore the nuances of inclusion in church organizations. In recent years many groups and congregations have participated in discussions of classic studies to help get them started on their journey toward understanding how systemic racism has been perpetuated in America. Some examples include Waking Up White: and Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving, *White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo, and Dear White Christians: For Those Still Longing for Racial Reconciliation by Jennifer Harvey.
Contemporary discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion are less than two years old. The death of George Floyd reverberated throughout the world, and almost overnight, the discussion changed and the burden of responsibility to understand the story of exclusion shifted to the dominant population. The literature is still trying to catch up!
The following academic articles are not as commonly read and offer a different perspective from the traditional studies and books about diversity and inclusion. I am sharing these resources as they inspired my academic research while completing my MA thesis on “The Use of Best Practices in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training in Mainline Protestant Churches.” I will continue to add to this collection as I pursue additional research in this area as part of my Leadership PsyD program in Organizational Psychology.
Cynthia Sibold
Academic Articles
Blitz, L.V. (2006). Owning whiteness: The reinvention of self and practice. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 6(2-3), 241-263.
Cervantes, J.M., & Parham, T.A. (2005). Toward a meaningful spirituality for people of color: lessons for the counseling practitioner. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 11(1), 69-81.
Chaves, M., Hawkins, M., Holleman, A., & Roso, J. (2020). Introducing the Fourth Wave of the National Congregations Study. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 59(4), 646–650. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12684
Cobb, R. J., Perry, S. L., & Dougherty, K. D. (2015). United by faith? Race/ethnicity, congregational diversity, and explanations of racial inequality. Sociology of Religion, 76(2), 177–198.
Dougherty, K. D., & Huyser, K. R. (2008). Racially diverse congregations: Organizational identity and the accommodation of differences. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 47(1), 23–44.
Dougherty, K. D., & Mulder, M. T. (2009). Congregational responses to growing urban diversity in a white ethnic denomination. Social Problems, 56(2), 335–356.
Dougherty, K. D., & Emerson, Michael. (2018). The Changing complexion of american congregations. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 57(1), 24–38.
Edwards, K. L., Christerson, B., & Emerson, M. O. (2013). Race, religious organizations, and integration. Annual Review of Sociology, 39, 211–228.
Emerson, M.O. (2006). People of the Dream: Multicultural organizations in the United States. Princeton University Press.
Garces-Foley, K. (2007). New opportunities and new values: The emergence of the multicultural church. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 612(1), 209–224.
Marti, G. (2015). Conceptual pathways to ethnic transcendence in diverse churches: Theoretical reflections on the achievement of successfully integrated congregations. Religions, 6(3), 1048–1066.
Polson, E. C., & Dougherty, K. D. (2019). Worshiping across the color line: The influence of congregational composition on whites’ friendship networks and racial attitudes. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 5(1), 100–114.
Tisby, J. (2019). The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism. Zondervan Reflective.
Wright, B. R., Wallace, M., Wisnesky, A. S., Donnelly, C. M., Missari, S., & Zozula, C. (2015). Religion, race, and discrimination: A field experiment of how American churches welcome newcomers. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 54(2), 185–204.
Books
Anderson, D.A., Cabellon, M.R. (2010). Multicultural Ministry Handbook: Connecting Creatively to a Diverse World. IVP Books.
Baldwin, J. (1962). The Fire Next Time. New York: Vintage International.
Baldwin, J. & Cazac, Y. (2018). Little Man, Little Man: A Story of Childhood. Durham and London: Duke University Press.
Branson, M.L., Martinez, J.F. (2011). Churches, Cultures & Leadership: A Practical Theology of Congregations and Ethnicities; IVP Academic Press.
Deymaz, M, Li, H. (2000). Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church. Zondervan and Associates.
Chaves, Mark. (2017). American Religion: Contemporary Trends (2nd ed.). Princeton University Press.
DeYoung, P.C. (2009). Coming Together in the 21st Century: The Bible’s Message in an Age of Diversity; Judson Press.
Gundling, E., Williams, C. (2019). Inclusive Leadership: From Awareness to Action; Aperian Global.
Jones, T. (2018). An American Marriage. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
Law, Eric C. F. Inclusion: Making Room for Grace. Chalice Press: 2000.
Law, Eric C. F. Sacred Acts, Holy Change: Faithful Diversity and Practical Transformation. Chalice Press: 2002.
McClaren, B.D. (2010). A New Kind of Christianity. Harper Collins.
Rahnema, A. (2017). Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity and Power in Ministry. Skinnerhouse Press.