Islam among African-American Prisoners
African American prison inmates convert to Islam at a rate faster than any other demographic group in the United States. In this article, I focus on the Christian encounter with Islam among African Americans in prison. First, I examine the wider demographic and historical context influencing the ris...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2008
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| In: |
Missiology
Year: 2008, Volume: 36, Issue: 4, Pages: 505-521 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | African American prison inmates convert to Islam at a rate faster than any other demographic group in the United States. In this article, I focus on the Christian encounter with Islam among African Americans in prison. First, I examine the wider demographic and historical context influencing the rise of Islam among prisoners. I trace the tendency of African Americans initially to join heterodox Black Nationalist Islamic groups and then to move toward Sunni orthodoxy. I then explore why some African Americans, especially inmates, find Islam more attractive than other Americans do. I discuss prison policy changes that seek to accommodate Muslim practices within a society where the predominant faith is Christianity. Finally, I offer recommendations for Christians to meet challenges and seize opportunities in the encounter with Islam among African American prisoners. |
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| ISSN: | 2051-3623 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Missiology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/009182960803600408 |
