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Networking the Black Church: Digital Black Christians and Hip Hop

Online ISBN:
9781479805839
Print ISBN:
9781479805815
Publisher:
NYU Press
Book

Networking the Black Church: Digital Black Christians and Hip Hop

Erika D. Gault
Erika D. Gault
University of Arizona
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Published online:
19 May 2022
Published in print:
18 January 2022
Online ISBN:
9781479805839
Print ISBN:
9781479805815
Publisher:
NYU Press

Abstract

Through a digital ethnography of the lives of young adult Black Christians this book examines hip hop as a deeply spiritual practice. This work argues that digital Black Christians have created a new space in and beyond the Black Church, one that is linguistic and socio-temporal in design. In the process, they are changing physically located Black Churches, modes of church activism, communication practices around evangelism and Christian identity, and the transmission and consumption of Black Church cultural practices in popular culture. Digital Black Christians suggests a new direction in how we study people of faith in all ages and races, and in what constitutes “committed adherents.” The work examines the relationships, identity-formation, valuation, and visibility-seeking that occurs online, as these intimacies are intrinsic to many people’s religious experience. In outlining the intimacies that such technologies mediate and mediatize, this book implores us all—preachers, practitioners, and scholars alike—to catch up.

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