“Chapter 2” in “A Resource for Instructors”
Chapter 2
OLDER PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF THE WAY – RELIGION, AGE, RACE, AND AGENCY
Chapter 2 examines the experiences of young Black people with diverse sexual identities who consider themselves religious (typically Christian) rather than spiritual. Their choice to embrace religion may be surprising to readers given the history of homophobia and heterosexism some of them have experienced in such spaces. This chapter unpacks some of the benefits and challenges associated with religious involvement including the lasting influence of Black Church youth socialization and tensions as young people endeavor to reconcile their pasts and their intersecting identities based on race, religion, sexuality, and age. Just as Remy, Simon, Teddy, Peter, and Jasper describe contemporary patterns in congregational involvement among some of their peers, they are comfortable critiquing churches. Moreover, young people like Mannie, Keiffer, and Linton espouse an idealized version of religion as a tool to evaluate contemporary churches. Generational differences in views and expectations are suggested. Experiences informed by biblical texts, societal inequities often linked to race, and positive past church occurrences undergird narratives that include strategies to increase the relevance of organized religion for young Black members of the LGBTQIA community. Examples are also evident when Remy, Simon, Teddy, Peter, Jasper, Mannie, Keiffer, and Linton invoked their agency (i.e., free will or the ability to make choices) to make decisions that empowered themselves. Yet, sometimes their agency or ability to choose seemed limited. Equally important are the ways in which, despite the tendency to question certain traditional examples of Christian commitment such as church attendance, most individuals continue to embrace Black Church cultural dynamics such as the value of a relationship with God, prayer, and seminal biblical passages.
Exercise: Poem, “Four Voices” Documentaries - All About ArJae and Maxine!
This is a classroom activity designed to examine the religious histories of two young Black members of the LGBTQIA community, ArJae and Maxine, as well as how their lives can be linked to Chapter 2. Students should note that ArJae and Maxine also shared their stories of trials and triumphs in the book (pseudonyms are used). In preparation for class, students are expected to have read Chapter 2. The two 30-minute documentaries can be assigned to be watched outside of class or, for classes with longer periods (example, seminars), the films can be watched during actual class and followed by discussion. Links are provided below. After watching the two documentaries, ask students to discuss them based on the discussion prompts below. After the exercise, students are expected to understand; some of the negative and positive experiences had by ArJae and Maxine, how they understand their identities and futures, as well as how groups like churches and social movements can assist young Black members of the LGBTQIA community. Course facilitators should note the trigger warning on ArJae’s film.
(Four Voices: ArJae”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d77UQXfCp4k)
(Four Voices: Maxine”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf8B7bSn2Ic)
Discussion Prompts
- How are Black Church culture and Black Church cultural tools defined in the book? What are the common Black Church cultural tools that emerge among the young Black people in Chapter 2? How do they describe the relevance of this culture and tools? Are their certain cultural tools or church expectations that are generally considered less relevant by them? Explain.
- Summarize each documentary. How can ArJae and Maxine’s experiences be linked to the narratives in Chapter 2? What Black Church cultural tools are embraced or rejected by ArJae and Maxine? Why are the documentaries called “Four Voices”?
- How are race and racial experiences important to the young Black people who shared their stories in Chapter 2?
- What does it mean to be agentic? Provide examples when ArJae and Maxine were agentic? Provide a few examples when Remy, Simon, Teddy, Peter, Jasper Mannie, Keiffer, or Linton were agentic in Chapter 2. Are there examples when their agency seemed constrained or limited? When and how?
- Concepts such as homophobia, heterosexism, and intersectionality are often used in academic research. How would you define them? Can these concepts be linked to the documentaries, “Four Voices”? How did these concepts play out in the lives of Maxine and ArJea? The young persons in Chapter 2?
- Use of the Bible was a common theme in Chapter 2? How was it used in positive and negative ways? Explain. What Bible verses or passages were most commonly referenced in these instances (example, John 3:16)?
Additional Reading Resources for Chapter 2:
Barnes, Sandra. 2021. “Becoming a Man: A Duboisian Examination of the Experiences of Black Men Who Have Sex with Men.” Social Problems 68 (2): 207–225 (doi: https://academic.oup.com/socpro/advance-article/doi/10.1093/socpro/spaa063/6041753?guestAccessKey=c9212e19-6d0f-4343-a30f-3b960b03d747).
2020. “Systemic Challenges, Stigma, and Solutions: Experiences of Black Men Who Have Sex with Men in Tennessee.” Journal of Sociological Research Vol 11(1): (doi.org/10.5296/jsr.v11i1.15756).
2013. “To Welcome or Affirm: Black Clergy Views about Homosexuality, Inclusivity, and Church Leadership.” Journal of Homosexuality 60: 1409-33.
2013. Live Long and Prosper: How Black Megachurches Address HIV/AIDS and Poverty in the Age of Prosperity Theology. New York: Fordham University Press.
2009. “The Influence of Black Church Culture: How Black Church Leaders Frame the HIV/AIDS Discourse.” Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue 2:1-17.
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