Social policy, social action and the Black Church: a praxis for social vision

Given the nature of the current political, social, and economic climates in the United States with home foreclosures, jobless rates, and high-school dropout rates hovering around record numbers, those who are indigenous to the plight of the people must play a role in securing policies and actions that will support better opportunities for better living. The faith community, especially the Black Church, can play a role by engaging in the development and maintenance of social policy and a responsibility to engage in social action that will energize and empower people in order to improve the quality of living. While there has been much time and effort dedicated to connecting the Black Church with social action, there is not a particularly large body of work encouraging the engagement of the Black Church in social policy. In order to address the need to have a relevant and substantial voice that will direct policies that will eradicate problems rather than always addressing consequences; the Black Church must allow the space for critical, analytical, and strategic treatment of the issues