W.E.B. Du Bois shaped 20th century America to an extent rivaled by few others. The first black to receive a Ph. D. from Harvard, he helped create the discipline of sociology and was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Martin Luther King, Jr. called Du Bois 'a gifted discoverer of social truths.' But until now little academic attention has been paid to his insights on religion or to how religious commitments shaped his views of race, rights and justice. Phil Zuckerman here gathers together Du Bois's writings on religion, and makes a compelling case for Du Bois to be recognized among the leading sociologists of religion. Du Bois on Religion includes selections from his well-known works such as The Souls of Black Folks to poems, prayers, stories and speeches less widely available. Brief, helpful introductions preface each of the twenty-six selections. Also, a general introduction traces Du Bois's move from church-attending Christian to relentless critic of religion and evaluates Du Bois's contributions to the study of religion. Du Bois on Religion is an important text for sociologists or for anyone interested in the history of race and religion in the United States.

About the Author
Phil Zuckerman is also the author of Strife in the Sanctuary (AltaMira Press, 1999). He is currently a professor of sociology at Pitzer College.

Reviews
Zuckerman's work represents an important first step in recognizing the significant contributions Du Bois made in the study of religion-work equally important as his scholarly advances in the areas of sociology, education, journalism, civil rights, and politics. -- Yolanda Pierce, University of Kentucky * H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online *
Nowhere is political activist W.E.B. DuBois's special gift for keen observation and biting social analysis more evident than in these 26 short essays, selections, and stories on black religion. -- T.L. Lott, (San Jose State University) * CHOICE *
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois is considered one of the foremost sociologists on the African-American experience. In Du Bois on Religion, Phil Zuckerman reminds us that W.E.B. Du Bois was also an outstanding thinker and scholar in the sociology ofreligion.... As a result of Zuckerman's editorial skills, the reader sees a portrait of Du Bois as an outspoken activist against racism, classism, discrimination, and segregation found in white society as well as class- and sex-based segregations that often occurred in the African-American community.... Of particular strength is Zuckerman's ability to arrange excerpts of longer works and seldom-published pieces to support Du Bois's contention that the African-American church was as much a social institution as a spiritual one ('The Church and the Negro') and the fluidity of the sacred and the secular for African-Americans ('Souls of Black Folk').... The book succeeds both at presenting samples of Du Bois's scholarly studies and personal writings on the sociology of religion as well as capturing the gradual progression from Du Bois the optimistic, reverent, and somewhat naive proselyte to Du Bois the cynical, disillusioned agnostic... Zuckerman situates Du Bois with classical sociological greats such as D -- Sandra L. Barnes, (Purdue University) * Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion *
This volume presents a collection of 26 works by W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963) that establish his place in the sociology of religion & offer a new perspecive on the influence of religion on his ideas on race & social justice. -- K. Hyatt Stewart * Sociological Abstracts, (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts) *
This classroom-usable collection compiles major essays, addresses, poems, and personal writings by W.E.B. Du Bois about religious topics....a most useful compilation text. -- Paul Harvey, (University of Colorado) * Religious Studies Review *
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois is considered one of the foremost sociologists on the African-American experience. In Du Bois on Religion, Phil Zuckerman reminds us that W.E.B. Du Bois was also an outstanding thinker and scholar in the sociology of religion.... As a result of Zuckerman's editorial skills, the reader sees a portrait of Du Bois as an outspoken activist against racism, classism, discrimination, and segregation found in white society as well as class- and sex-based segregations that often occurred in the African-American community.... Of particular strength is Zuckerman's ability to arrange excerpts of longer works and seldom-published pieces to support Du Bois's contention that the African-American church was as much a social institution as a spiritual one ('The Church and the Negro') and the fluidity of the sacred and the secular for African-Americans ('Souls of Black Folk').... The book succeeds both at presenting samples of Du Bois's scholarly studies and personal writings on the sociology of religion as well as capturing the gradual progression from Du Bois the optimistic, reverent, and somewhat naive proselyte to Du Bois the cynical, disillusioned agnostic... Zuckerman situates Du Bois with classical sociological greats such as Durkheim and Weber and provides clear evidence why this is so. This well-edited text is definitely recommended reading for an advanced undergraduate course or first-year graduate course in sociology of religion, African-American studies, or cultural studies. -- Sandra L. Barnes, (Purdue University) * Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion *
This volume presents a collection of 26 works by W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963) that establish his place in the sociology of religion & offer a new perspecive on the influence of religion on his ideas on race & social justice. -- K. Hyatt Stewart * Sociological Abstracts, (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts) *



Book Information
ISBN 9780742504202
Author Phil Zuckerman
Format Hardback
Page Count 224
Imprint AltaMira Press
Publisher AltaMira Press
Weight(grams) 408g
Dimensions(mm) 237mm * 152mm * 18mm