UT Arlington sociology professor examines interplay of race and religion in America in new book

ARLINGTON, Texas - The beliefs of black and white Christians may appear similar, but a University of Texas at Arlington researcher has found significant differences among the races in everything from how frequently people pray or attend church to whether they believe in heaven or hell. In his new book, “Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions (NYU Press),” assistant sociology professor Jason Shelton reports on survey data from 2006, and interviews and focus groups conducted in 2008. Shelton co-authored the book with Michael Emerson,