Du Bois on Religion

(Paperback, 2nd edition)

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Revised and updated collection of Du Bois important writings on the sociology of religion.

W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was by any measure one of the most remarkable and influential intellectuals in American history. A celebrated sociologist, socialist, American historian, social philosopher, and pan-Africanist, and the first Black African to receive a PhD from Harvard University, he was a founding member of the NAACP, journal editor, and the most influential Black civil rights protest leader in the first half of the 20th century. He was also the author of several books, including the seminal The Souls of Black Folk (1903), a landmark in the history of sociology and African American literature.

Du Bois on Religion brings to light his insights on religion and how religious commitments shaped his views of race, rights, and justice. Sociologist Phil Zuckerman gathers Du Bois's writings on religion and makes a compelling case for Du Bois to be recognized among the leading sociologists of religion of the 20th centurywhose influence on the field has only grown in recent decades. This expanded and updated edition includes selections from his well-known works such as The Souls of Black Folks to poems, prayers, stories, and speeches less widely available, as well as numerous unpublished and previously uncited writings from the Du Bois Special Collections and University Archives a UMass Amherst. Zuckerman provides concise, illuminating introductions to each of the thirty selections, while his general introduction traces Du Bois's move from church-attending Christian to relentless critic of religion. Including a foreword by historian Chris Cameron, this new edition of Du Bois on Religion is a critical text for scholars and students, and for anyone seeking to better understand the history of race and religion in the United States.

Author Bio

Phil Zuckerman is a Professor of Sociology and Secular Studies at Pitzer College. He is the author of several books, including Beyond Doubt (2023), What It Means to be Moral (2019) The Nonreligious (2016), Living the Secular Life (2014), and Society Without God (2008), and the editor of several volumes, including The Oxford Handbook of Secularism (2016) and The Social Theory of W.E.B. Du Bois (2004). He is the founding chair of the nations first Secular Studies Program.