iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Gerardo Martí @gerardomarti.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Short article on race, religion, and political identification: Where Black Americans worship matters. See original here 👉 Cobb, R. J. (2026). “Diversity and Dealignment: Congregational Context and the Weakening of Black Partisan Attachment.” Sociological Focus, 59(3), 497–517. shorturl.at/acdeg

shorturl.at

How multiracial churches are depoliticizing Black Americans | Brookings

Ryon J. Cobb reveals how church leadership and racial makeup shape Black Americans' political engagement and power.

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Gerardo Martí @gerardomarti.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

# 2 Trending # 5 Most Read This article builds on a wide pattern of findings in our forthcoming book Aspiring to Antiracism: The Pursuit of Racial Justice in White Progressive Churches (Oxford 2027) global.oup.com/academic/pro... "A crucial contribution" Robert Wuthnow

global.oup.com

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Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) @sssreligion.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Explore the #SSSR_RRA2026 final program: Three days of cutting-edge social scientific scholarship on religion, including paper sessions, a new books reception, affinity group meetings, awards, the RRA H. Paul Douglass Lecture, the SSSR Presidential Address & more sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...

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Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion @jssreligion.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Shimizu & Sakurai (2026) explore the plural nature of religiosity in Japan. The research shows that Buddhist & Shinto-related rituals remain common even among people who identify as atheist, challenging simple distinctions between “religious” & “nonreligious.” onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Ambiguous Boundaries of Religious Belief, Behavior, and Belonging in Japan: A Descriptive Analysis of Plural and Cultural Religiosity

This research note analyzes the ambiguous boundaries of religious identity, belief, and ritual behavior in Japan, drawing on data from a nationally representative postal survey conducted in 2024 (N =....

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Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) @sssreligion.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Reminder ➡️ Reserve your hotel room for #SSSR_RRA2026 Annual Meeting by October 7. Special attendee and student rates available. We look forward to seeing you at the Denver Marriott Tech Center! sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...

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Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion @jssreligion.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

How does the public reputation of Christian churches take shape? Rieser, Eisenegger & Schneider examine how lived experience, sociodemographic factors & media exposure relate to 🇨🇭Swiss perceptions of Roman Catholic, Reformed Protestant, & Evangelical churches. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

The Reputational Configuration and Dynamics of Christian Churches in Switzerland

This study examines how the reputation of Christian churches is configured, and which sociodemographic variables and experiences (personal or mediated) relate to it. It provides in-depth insights int....

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Kettering Foundation @kettering.org · 25/09/2026

Kettering Foundation Research Fellow @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social talks with us about those differences through the lens of new data from the Kettering-Gallup #DemocracyForAll Project, one of the most extensive annual studies of how Americans experience democracy.

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Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The study uses "Kingdom of God" questions designed by @bvkent.bsky.social & fielded with the help of @joshuagrubbsphd.com. Written with stellar Westmont undergraduate Phin Bonner. @sssreligion.bsky.social. Feel free to share. Email one of us if you can't pass the paywall. doi.org/10.1111/jssr...

doi.org

Christian Nationalism, the Antisocial Gospel? Attitudes on Charity and Justice in the Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is a key motif in the teachings of Jesus. Many Christians, including those subscribing to Christian nationalism, believe they have a responsibility to “build” the Kingdom here on E...

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Blake Victor Kent @bvkent.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

For many years I have felt a compelling vision of Jesus' "Kingdom of God" is central to an authentic Christian faith and witness. Five years ago I set out to design a measure of the Kingdom and place it on a national survey. substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

What Makes the Kingdom of God Present on Earth?

Reporting on the first national survey to assess how American Christians think about the Kingdom of God

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Blake Victor Kent @bvkent.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I was asked to comment on a new study linking internet diffusion to declines in religiosity across 81 countries. It's a really interesting study worth reflecting on! www.psypost.org/new-study-li...

psypost.org

New study links the spread of the internet to a global decline in religious identity

As internet access spreads across the globe, formal religious affiliation tends to fall. A new study of 81 countries links three decades of digital expansion to a steady decline in traditional religio...

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Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Great new study from @jcallahanbryant.bsky.social at @socprobsjournal.bsky.social. Analyzing 21 years of data from the forum Stormfront, he shows the religious foundation of White nationalism is not solely Christian, but integrates Christian, pagan, & positivist repertoires. doi.org/10.1093/socp...

doi.org

Christian, pagan, positivist: the religious repertoires of white nationalism

ABSTRACT. Scholarship on the far right often treats Christianity as the dominant religious frame structuring contemporary white nationalist politics. I arg

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Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion @jssreligion.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Perry, Kent, Bonner & Grubbs examine how American Christians understand making God’s Kingdom present. Findings suggest #ChristianNationalism is associated with emphasizing electing Christians & changing laws, while placing less emphasis on charity & justice. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Christian Nationalism, the Antisocial Gospel? Attitudes on Charity and Justice in the Kingdom of God

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Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion @jssreligion.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Fuist & Johnson (2026) identify three pathways through which politics can shape religious identity: 'returning' ➡️ coming back to faith through politics; 'reorienting' ➡️ reshaping faith to align with politics; & 'becoming' ➡️ discovering faith through politics. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

“It Started to Dawn on Me That It's Hard for Me to Love My Neighbor if I'm Shooting Him From 200 Yards Away”: Three Pathways for How Politics Shapes Religion

There is growing empirical evidence that “politics affects religion,” yet most of this work has been quantitative. This article contributes to this burgeoning literature by drawing on two qualitative....

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Pew Research Center @pewresearch.org · 08/09/2026

Muslims are a growing, diverse population in the U.S., one that has become more politically visible in recent years. What do their experiences look like today?

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Contexts Magazine @contexts.org · 14/09/2026

Why do economists dominate public debate while sociologists remain on the sidelines? In this interview, Amin Ghaziani interviews a New York Times columnist about the many ways sociologists can enter public discussions. Read "Professors, We Still Need You!" journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

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Dr. Bradley Onishi @bradleyonishi.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Next week - Amherst College. Come hang!

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PRRI @prri.org · 16/09/2026

According to the PRRI Census of American Religion, young women (18-29) have shed religious labels steadily since 2013, when 29% identified as religiously unaffiliated. By 2024, that figure grew to 40%, and in 2025, it increased to 43%. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | What a Popular Netflix Show Tells Us About Women and Faith (Gift Article)

When faith is used to control and subordinate women, they leave the church.

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The Revealer @therevealer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In “Hindu Nationalism's New Frontiers, from Sri Lanka to the United States,” @anujbehal.bsky.social follows the rise of Hindu nationalism in diaspora communities around the world, linking its growth to India’s political climate and the religious and ethnic grievances it exports.

therevealer.org

Hindu Nationalism’s New Frontiers, from Sri Lanka to the United States — The Revealer

Hindu nationalism no longer needs India's borders—just a diaspora, a grievance, and a network willing to supply the vocabulary

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Institute for Religion, Culture and Societal Futures @ircsf.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Check out this new episode of the Rebellion Dogs podcast, featuring our Director Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme following up on her keynote lecture at the World Humanist Congress this past August, with discussions on nonreligion in Canada and the US: rebelliondogspublishing.com/rebellious-r...

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Andrew Whitehead @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Using a nationally representative sample of American adults, this study shows contemporary Christian nationalism in the US is situated in a constellation of social fears about ethno-racial purity, as well as about the perceived loss of individual autonomy. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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The Revealer @therevealer.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

@nberlat.bsky.social reviews Kaleidoscope: Pluralism, White Supremacy, and American Religious History and argues for a vision of American religion that emphasizes solidarity between marginalized religious communities. Check out "Democracy Requires Religious Pluralism" in our September issue!

therevealer.org

Skeptic's Corner: Democracy Requires Religious Pluralism — The Revealer

The new book

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Centre for Studies in Religion and Society @csrs-uvic.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Scholars in the Square is back! We're excited to welcome a new cohort of fellows, and to share their research in our free lecture series. Join us Thursday as CSRS faculty fellow Chris Douglas ties together the ancient gods and contemporary fiction. More info on our events page: uvic.ca/csrs/events.

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Nonreligion in a Complex Future @nonreligioncf.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Register now for the 2026 NSRN Annual Lecture featuring Dena M. Abbott Nonreligious Health in a Christian-Normative Nation: Intersectionality, Power, and the Case for Culturally-Responsive Psychotherapy Register here: uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi... @thensrn.bsky.social

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Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) @sssreligion.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

"I am thrilled to join SSSR as Executive Officer and to be part of an organization so deeply committed to advancing its mission and serving its members. I look forward to listening, collaborating, and working alongside our members to support the continued growth and impact of SSSR."

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Gerardo Martí @gerardomarti.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Much thanks to Robby for his new book. Diving in…!

BACKSLIDE
RECLAIMING A FAITH
AND A NATION AFTER
THE CHRISTIAN TURN
AGAINST DEMOCRACY
ROBERT P. JONES
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE HIDDEN ROOTS OF WHITE SUPREMACY

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Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Also want to make clear this isn't a paradigm-shifting argument. Lots of studies show fundamentalism, right-wing views, and authoritarianism are associated with lower cognitive ability. I'm showing this clearly extends to Christian nationalist views as well. Free to read. 4/4 doi.org/10.1111/jssr...

doi.org

Cognitive Ability and Christian Nationalism

Americans who subscribe to Christian nationalist beliefs tend to be characterized by lower education and substantial knowledge deficits across multiple domains. Building on research connecting lower ....

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Andrew Whitehead @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Congrats to @robertpjones.bsky.social on RELEASE DAY for this new book BACKSLIDE!!! I cannot wait to get my hands on this book. Each of Jones' books have been incredibly influential and his new book will not disappoint. Hit the link below and order now! bookshop.org/p/books/back...

bookshop.org

Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy

“Bracing—Jones presents a vision of America as “fallen into... apostasy.” But he remains hopeful, noting that “backsliding is not irreversible,” as “repentance is possible... with confession” and the ...

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Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

It’s raining great new books for me this week! Check out these important new volumes from @robertpjones.bsky.social and @bradleyonishi.bsky.social.

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Brandon Vaidyanathan @brvnathan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

My latest essay in @commonwealmagazine.org responds to a landmark TIME issue "Is God Dead?" by summarizing the state of research on #secularization in #America. www.commonwealmagazine.org/green-shoots You can read the other pieces in the symposium here: www.commonwealmagazine.org/symposium-is...

commonwealmagazine.org

Green Shoots?

Religious belief has migrated away from public institutional life and toward the interior, the personal, the chosen.

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Gerardo Martí @gerardomarti.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

NEW RESEARCH "We conclude by outlining a new agenda for the study of religion–state relations that better accounts for the domains where religion–state interaction most commonly takes place and interrogates the real-world consequences of such interactions for religious and state actors alike."

academic.oup.com

Religion and the Everyday State: How Religious Leaders and Local Law Enforcement Officials Interact in Eight U.S. Communities

Abstract. Scholarship on religion–state relations in the United States often focuses on abstract debates over religious freedom and disestablishment concer

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Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion @jssreligion.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

What if religion shapes not just whether young adults have sex, but how they move through relationships? This study finds public & private religiosity are linked differently to commitment/sexual timing, suggesting sexuality is a pathway, not a single outcome. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Religiosity and the Pathway to an Ongoing Nonmarital Penile–Vaginal Sexual Relationship During the Transition to Adulthood

Studies of religion and nonmarital sexual behavior often focus on the timing of sexual debut and the number of sexual partners during adolescence, limiting understanding of how religion shapes subseq...

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BSA Sociology of Religion Study Group @bsasocrel.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

SocRel will be coordinating the stream “Social Divisions/Social Identities” at the @britsoci.bsky.social Annual Conference 2027. We'd like to encourage SocRel members to submit abstracts so we have a full and vibrant stream. Deadline for abstracts is 11 September www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-b...

britsoc.co.uk

BSA Annual Conference 2027: Freedom and Hope in the Current Global Context

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Kristin Du Mez @kkdumez.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Tonight I’ll be at Davidson in conversation with Davidson’s own Gerardo Marti. Special thanks to Main Street Books for having pre-release books available at both! share.google/W5T30btCycKy...

share.google

Kristin du Mez | Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made | Main Street Books

Lake Norman's local independent bookstore since 1987.

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Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture @csraac.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Bigfoot. Yeti. Mapinguari. Sasquatch. Yeren. Ghosts. UFOs. Paranormal beliefs are found across national borders and historical periods, both separate from and in conversation with historical religious teachings. Join us for Religion & the Paranormal on Sept. 24 to explore these ideas!

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The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The ARDA Guiding Paper Series allows prominent scholars to provide guidance on the study of religion and new research agendas. From improved measurement concepts to rethinking commonly held assumptions on religion, these papers represent essential framing for the study of religion today.

thearda.com

Guiding Papers | Research

The ARDA Guiding Paper Series Allows Prominent Scholars to Provide Guidance Papers On The Study of Religion and New Research Agendas

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Gerardo Martí @gerardomarti.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Every pew filled last night for my conversation with Kristin DuMez in Lingle Chapel Davidson College Pres. Church in her new newly released book: Live Laugh Love: the Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made. Community event hosted by our local independent Main Street Books.

Alt Text:
Gerardo Martí and Kristin DuMez sit in black chairs on a wooden platform in Lingle Chapel at Davidson College Presbyterian Church, facing a large audience seated in pews. Martí, on the left, holds up a copy of the new book "Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made." Behind them, dozens of audience members in the pews and upper balcony hold up their copies of the book.

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City & Community @cicojournal.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

To commemorate the journal's upcoming 25th anniversary, we are excited to announce the Emerging Scholars Conference—an opportunity for grad students and postdocs to showcase their work related to urban sociology—at Georgetown on April 23, 2027. Call for submissions: tinyurl.com/cicoconfinfo

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Nancy Ammerman @ntammerman.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Teaching #Sociology of Religion (or culture) this fall -- #NYUPress has a 50%off sale this month on *Studying Lived Religion*! nyupress.org/978147980434...

nyupress.org

Studying Lived Religion

Offers an overarching definition and framework for the study of religion as it manifests itself in everyday lifeLook around you as you walk down the street; ...

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Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) @sssreligion.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

The preliminary program is now online for the #SSSR_RRA2026 Annual Meeting, happening in Denver, October 30 to November 1. This year’s theme 'Rethinking Religion for the 21st Century,' focuses on the changing forms & social roles of #Religion in contemporary life. sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...

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Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion @jssreligion.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Nancy L. Malcom & Melinda D. Kane (2026) examine the activism that helped push the United Methodist Church toward marriage equality. Their study shows how organizational position shaped strategies for challenging bans on same-sex marriage. #LGBTQ #Equality onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

“Go Ahead and Bring Me Up on Charges—The Rocks Will Sing Out”: Organizational Structure, Ally Activism, and the Struggle for Marriage Equality in the UMC

After decades of struggle, the United Methodist Church (UMC) removed all LGBTQ-restrictive language from its Book of Discipline in 2024, overturning exclusionary policies that forbid same-sex wedding...

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Institute for Religion, Culture and Societal Futures @ircsf.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Teaser for our new Maple Spirit Pulse video "Religious Diversity in Waterloo Region and in Canada." Watch the complete video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2We...

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Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) @sssreligion.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

"American-style Christianity can no longer be assumed to be the future for the churches in Britain. Such religion has always been more enthusiastic, congregational and separate from the state," says Professor Linda Woodhead. @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social theconversation.com/there-may-no...

theconversation.com

There may not be a Christian revival, but Britain’s traditional churches aren’t doomed

American-style Christianity can no longer be assumed to be the future for the churches in Britain.

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Kristin Du Mez @kkdumez.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

In advance of the midterms and two weeks before my book LIVE LAUGH LOVE releases, the NYT asked me to write about how popular Christian women’s culture informs the way women vote. And then they created these incredible illustrations. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | The Political Power of Christian Kitsch

Precious Moments figurines and Christian romance novels aren’t overtly political, but they shape how Christian women see themselves and the world.

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Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture @csraac.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Bigfoot. Yeren. Ghosts. UFOs. Paranormal beliefs are found across national borders and historical periods, both separate from and in conversation with historical religious teachings. The first episode will take place live in-person & streamed on Zoom! Join us Sept 24th for an exciting conversation!

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The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Five datasets have been added for free access in our archive. These datasets cover a variety of topics, including American elections, the news media, mosques in the United States, and policy advocacy. Access these archive additions by @pewresearch.org, @prri.org, and others in the comments.

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Gerardo Martí @gerardomarti.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Just Published The Lull of Liturgy: How Ritual Defers the Demands of Racial Justice Gerardo Martí Liturgy 2026, VOL. 41, NOS. 2–3, 94–108 doi.org/10.1080/0458... Link to Article www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/70x1f...

LITURGY
2026, VOL. 41, NOS. 2-3, 94-108
https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063X.2026.2706414
ROUTLEDGE
Taylor & Francis Group

The Lull of Liturgy: How Ritual Defers the Demands of Racial Justice

Gerardo Martí
Davidson College, Davidson, NC, USA

ABSTRACT
White progressive congregations routinely enact values of inclusion and justice in worship through confession, prayer, and preaching. Yet familiar liturgical rhythms can inhibit deeper transformation, absorbing even radical antiracist language and gestures without unsettling congregants' self-understanding or altering underlying church structures. Drawing on ethnographic observation and Erving Goffman's dramaturgical sociology, this essay heuristically interprets worship as a social performance through which participants adopt a "circumstantial self," projecting idealized commitments that may not extend beyond the occasion. This performative dynamic produces what is here called the lull of liturgy: a condition in which devotional practices generate moral satisfaction while deferring the sustained, disruptive work required to dismantle systemic racism. Supported by qualitative data, the result is a pattern of symbolic allyship, where low-risk gestures substitute for substantive action, and clergy prioritize harmony over con-frontation. Rather than equipping congregants for costly engagement, worship risks only comforting them. For liturgy to "confront the powers," it must disrupt as well as console. Only when embedded within a broader ecology of formation-including teaching, political education, and structural change-can worship form people capable of sustained, courageous anti-racist action. The measure of liturgical formation, then, lies not in its emotional resonance within sacred walls, but in the transformation it produces beyond them.

KEYWORDS
Racism, racial justice, sociological theory, sociology of religion, symbolic allyship, progressive congregations, spiritual formation, ritual performance

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