Black Churches and African American social activism : the "opiate view" and the "inspiration view" of black religion in the selected literature

The article analyses the evolution of the academic debate on the role of the Black Church and Black religion in encouraging or undercutting the political and social activism of African Americans. By reviewing the most important literature on the subject in the context of the so-called "opiate" and "inspiration" view, it will be possible to present the dominating trends and shifts in the debate in particular periods of time.