The Black Lives Matter Movement and the politics of the Black Church : theological divisions and socio-political engagement

The Black Church played a unique role in Black American history. For a long time, it was a center of Black culture and a source of leadership in politics. During the civil rights era a number of Black churches became involved in social protests. This created a general perception of the Black Church as socio-politically engaged and supportive of Black protest movements. In 2013, however, when #Black Lives Matter originated not all Black churches were ready to grant their support. Many were hesitant, while some entirely rejected the movement. The aim of this article is to analyze the (shifting) attitudes of various Black churches toward the new protest movement as well as their theological arguments for and against #BLM.