新作坊 Humanity Innovation and Social Practice

The Black Church and Community Development and Self-Help: The Next Phase of Social Equality

摘要：

This article reviews the current research examining the role of the Black church as a political , economic and social entity which has consistently been an agent of self-help, empowerment and social change. Self-help as practiced by the Black church challenged the hegemonic structure of American society and promoted social change. Although the literature has considered the political and social efforts of the church, it has not addressed the role of the church as an economic agent or the connection between religion and economic development. This article suggests that the lack of research addressing the role of the church as an economic agent is crucial in developing new strategies for community empowerment. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]