Journal Article

The Role of Black Christian Beliefs in the Civil Rights Movement: A Paradigm for a Better Understanding of Religious Freedom

Roberts, Darryl Dejuan

2024

Overview

This paper builds upon and extends Christian and legal scholarship on the civil rights movement by illuminating a climate of religious freedom that served as a catalyst for and was integral to the success of the spirited activism of the civil rights movement. To date, scholars have not extensively considered how the expansion of religious freedom in church and state jurisprudence both directly and indirectly created a climate that contributed to the success of the CRM, and how advancements in civil rights impacted the broader revolution occurring in constitutional rights. The climate of religious freedom included court support for evangelizing in residentially exclusive areas, exemptions for conscientious opposers from participating in oath swearing and other ceremonies, and exemptions from other general laws that unduly inhibited the free exercise of religious rights.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: African American churches / Bill of Rights-US / black church / Black churches / Christianity / Church & state / Church and state / Civil rights / Civil rights movements / Customer relationship management software / establishment clause / Faith / First Amendment-US / free exercise clause / Freedom of religion / Government aid / Jehovah’s Witnesses / Leadership / liberty of conscience / Minority & ethnic groups / Nonviolence / Principles / Religious aspects / Religious beliefs / religious freedom / Revolutions / Rule of law / Slavery / Social aspects / Spirituality