T@W Podcast: Father/son research duo Ronald and R. Khari Brown discuss how churches impact the political viewpoints and social activism of their members

Episode description Ronald E. Brown and son R. Khari Brown, co-authors of Race and the Power of Sermons on American Politics, talk about how churches impact the political views of their members and help shape their sense of activism.

About Ronald Brown Ronald E. Brown is an associate professor of political science at Wayne State University. He regularly teaches Introduction to American Government courses, Religion and Politics and Detroit Politics to predominantly undergraduate students. Professor Brown participates in dinner and dialogue sessions with Detroit voters via CitizenDetroit, a nonprofit organization. While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the in-person dinner sessions, the goal is to resume these vital citizen activities. Professor Brown’s collaborative national survey research projects with R. Khari Brown explore the associative relationships between civil-religious discourse, public policy attitudes and political participation.

R. Khari Brown R. Khari Brown, Ph.D., is an associate professor of sociology at Wayne State University and the president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. He teaches classes and does research on the sociology of religion. His research explores how race impacts the relationship between religion and social-political behaviors and attitudes. He is a co-investigator of National Politics Study, a project funded by the Louisville Institute, Issachar Fund and University of Michigan. The National Politics Study is a biannual study that assesses American political attitudes and behaviors and religious life. He also served as a consultant for the Pew Research Center’s 2020-2021 survey on African American religion.

Additional resources Read the Browns’ recent article in The Conversation: theconversation.com/what-americans-hear-about-social-justice-at-church-and-what-they-do-about-it-168713

Learn more about the Browns’ book, Race and the Power of Sermons on American Politics: press.umich.edu/9956589/race_and_the_power_of_sermons_on_american_politics

Follow R. Khari Brown on Twitter: twitter.com/kalebnbrown

Follow the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) on Twitter: twitter.com/WayneStateCLAS

Follow CLAS on Facebook: facebook.com/WayneStateCLAS

This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm