Jean Van Delinder

Religion and Black / White Interracial Relationships in Contemporary Society: Why Should We Make a Special Effort to Diversify? Jean Van Delinder

Why should we make a special effort to diversify? Religion historically has acted to prohibit Black/White interracial relationships by constructing myths and theories about the nature of the relationship. Labeling Blacks as inferior, sexual deviants and cursed religion has played role in creating and maintaining racial boundaries in American society. Religious ideology (i.e., curse of Ham/Cain) continues to fuel negative assumptions about interracial relationships as problematic, forbidding them for the good of society. Robert Park's marginal man theory helps us to situate this problem within the context of American race relations as well as contextualize common sense understandings about race and religion. This study adds to the general knowledge of sociology and the sociology of religion by examining religious and socially constructed images of interracial couples as they exist in contemporary society and within some religious institutions; along with the real life consequences for some religious mixed race couples. It explores the coping mechanics used by mixed race couples as they navigate the religious and secular world.