THE BLACK CHURCH AND GUNS: ASSESSING THE LINKS BETWEEN RELIGION AND RACE IN THE UNITED STATES
Abstract
This study examines differences in the likelihood of gun ownership among Blacks and Whites across various religious affiliations. It focuses on historically Black Christian traditions that often go unaccounted for in the existing literature on gun ownership among Christians. Data from the 1972—2018 General Social Surveys is analyzed using logistic regression models. Findings suggest that unlike the patterns of gun ownership associated with White denominations (evangelicals owning the largest share of guns), Black Christian gun ownership is heavily represented by mainline denominations. To date, scholars have maintained that evangelicalism emphasizes gun ownership while overlooking the role that gun ownership plays for Black mainline traditions. These results point to a notable difference in the links between race, religion, and gun ownership.