“Too Much to Hope”: Analyzing Clergy Rhetoric on White Supremacy

As Du Bois observed a century ago, the White Church as an institution is largely associated with maintaining status quo of racial stratification rather than offering progressive force. To analyze rhetoric predominantly clergy on race, I sample sermons from congregations in Charlottesville, VA following 2017 supremacist rally (N = 87 38 congregations). find that draw individualistic, other-worldly, and structural frameworks to explain causes solutions racism violence. These carry different consequences; individualistic explanations are calls for self-examination prayer, while seeing battle between forces comes limited individual engagement. Further, these overlapping within sermons, clouding appropriate responses whole, affirm Bois’ low expectations combatting inequality.