Editor's Choice

The Editor reviews:
Dwight N. Hopkins, Heart and Head: Black Theology – Past, Present and Future     

'Black Theology Then and Now: A Second Generation Assessment'

Book reviewed in this article:
Dwight N. Hopkins, Heart and Head: Black Theology Past, Present and Future     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed:
Saving and Secular Faith: An Invitation to Systematic Theology , by B. A. Gerrish.
Jesus is My Uncle , by Luis G. Pedraja.
The Human Person in Science and Theology , edited by Niels HenrikGregersen, Willem B. Drees and Ulf Görman.
Down, Up, and Over: Slave Religion and Black Theology , by Dwight N. Hopkins.
Religion and Popular Culture in America , edited by Bruce David Forbes and Jeffrey H. Mahan.
God, Humanity and the Cosmos: A Textbook in Science and Religion , by Christopher Southgate.     

Racial/ethnic differences in the criterion-related validity of cognitive ability tests: a qualitative and quantitative review

The correlation between cognitive ability test scores and performance was separately meta-analyzed for Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White racial/ethnic subgroups. Compared to the average White observed correlation ( = .33, N = 903,779), average correlations were lower for Black samples ( = .24, N = 112,194) and Hispanic samples ( = .30, N = 51,205) and approximately equal for Asian samples ( = .33, N = 80,705). Despite some moderating effects (e.g., type of performance criterion, decade of data collection, job complexity), validity favored White over Black and Hispanic test takers in almost all conditions that included a sizable number of studies. Black-White validity comparisons were possible both across and within the 3 broad domains that use cognitive ability tests for high-stakes selection and placement: civilian employment, educational admissions, and the military. The trend of lower Black validity was repeated in each domain; however, average Black-White validity differences were largest in military studies and smallest in educational and employment studies. Further investigation of the reasons for these validity differences is warranted.     

Racial differences in narcissistic tendencies

Black individuals have been found to report the highest levels of self-esteem of any racial group in the United States. The purpose of the present research was to examine whether Black individuals also report higher levels of narcissism than White individuals. Study 1 (N = 367) found that Black individuals reported higher levels of narcissism than White individuals even when controlling for gender, self-esteem level, and socially desirable response tendencies. Study 2 (N = 967) and Study 3 (N = 315) found similar results such that Black individuals reported higher levels of narcissism than White individuals on the narcissism measures that captured less pathological facets of this construct. Study 3 also included indicators of psychological adjustment and found that the pathological aspects of narcissism were more strongly associated with maladjustment for Black individuals than for White individuals. The implications of these results for understanding the Black self-esteem advantage are discussed.     

Black and White College Women's Perceptions of Sexual Harassment

In this study, we examined how racial factorsinfluence college women's perceptions of sexualharassment. Specifically, we examined whether Black (N= 46) and White (N = 89) women perceive unsolicitedsexual behavior between a Black woman and Black mandifferentfrom such behavior between a Black woman and aWhite man. The data suggest that sexual harassmentbetween Black women and men are trivialized compared to sexual behavior between Black women andWhite men. The findings are interpreted with regard tothe necessity of studying sexual harassment for women ofcolor.     

Reviews

Malory Nye (ed), Culture and Religion: An International, Interdisciplinary Journal John L. Esposito and Michael Watson (eds), Religion and Global Order George D. Chryssides, Exploring New Religions Roger Jackson and John Makransky (eds), Buddhist Theology: Critical Reflections by Contemporary Buddhist Scholars Yvonne Chireau and Nathaniel Deutsch (eds), Black Zion: African American Religious Encounters with Judaism Mohammad Abu‐Hamdiyyah, The Qur'an: an Introduction Reuven Firestone, Jihad: the Origin of Holy War in Islam David Brown, Tradition and Imagination: Revelation and Change Peter J. Thuesen, In Disconcordance with the Scriptures: American Protestant Battles over Translating the Bible Edward Adams, Constructing the World: A Study in Paul's Cosmological Language Andrew McGowan, Ascetic Eucharists: Food and Drink in Early Christian Ritual Meals Hilarion Alfeyev, St. Symeon the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition Richard A. Muller, The Unaccommodated Calvin: Studies in the Foundation of a Theological Tradition Dwight N. Hopkins, Down, Up, and Over: Slave Religion and Black Theology Sue Morgan, A Passion for Purity: Ellice Hopkins and the Politics of Gender in the Late‐Victorian Church Michael Chandler, The Life and Work of Henry Parry Liddon Anthony O? Mahoney (ed), Palestinian Christians: Religion, Politics and Society in the Holy Land Michael Prior (ed), They Came and They Saw: Western Christian Experiences of the Holy Land Thomas Hummel, Kevork Hintlian and Ulf Carmesund (eds), Patterns of the Past, Prospects for the Future: The Christian Heritage in the Holy Land Gerald O'Collins, The Tripersonal God: Understanding and Interpreting the Trinity Stephen Davis, Daniel Kendall and Gerald O'Collins (eds), The Trinity: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Trinity David Fergusson and Marcel Sarot (eds), The Future as God's Gift: Explorations in Christian Eschatology Daniel Harrington, Why Do We Suffer? A Scriptural Approach to the Human Condition Oliver O'Donovan & Jean Lockwood O'Donovan (eds), From Irenaeus to Grotius: A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought Brian R. Clack, An Introduction to Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Religion Brian R. Clack, Wittgenstein, Frazer and Religion David Torevell, Losing the Sacred: Ritual, Modernity and Liturgical Reform David S. Cunningham, Ralph del Colle and Lucas Lamadrid (eds), Ecumenical Theology in Worship, Doctrine and Life: Essays Presented to Geoffrey Wainright on his Sixtieth Birthday Guatemala: Never Again! REMHI Recovery of Historical Memory Project. The Official Report of the Human Rights Office, Archdiocese of Guatemala Bruce David Forbes and Jeffrey H. Mahan (eds), Religion and Popular Culture in America Susan J. Palmer and Charlotte E. Hardman (eds), Children in New Religions     

ONCE MORE . . .

Books reviewed:
The Major World Religions : An Introduction with Texts , T. Patrick Burke, Second Edition, Blackwell 2004 (1-4051-1049-X), pp. xix + 380, Pb £17.99/$34.95 Reviewed by Isabel Wollaston University of Birmingham
The Biblical World , two volumes, John Barton (ed.), Routledge 2004 (0-415-34954-0), Hb £45 Reviewed by Deryn Guest University of Birmingham
Matthew : A Commentary, Volume 1 : The Christbook (Matthew 1–12) , Frederick Dale Bruner, Revised and Expanded Edition, Eerdmans 2004 (0-8028-1118-3), pp. xlviii + 604, Hb £34.95/$45 Matthew : A Commentary, Volume 2 : The Churchbook (Matthew 13–18) , Frederick Dale Bruner, Revised and Expanded Edition, Eerdmans 2004 (0-8028-2670-9), pp. xxxii + 854, Hb £34.95/$45 Reviewed by Philip Seddon University of Birmingham
Religion in the Medieval World , Bernard Hamilton, Second Edition, Arnold Publishers 2003 (0-340-80839-X), pp. ix + 196, Pb £14.99 Reviewed by Stephen Morris New York
A History of the Popes 1830–1914 , Owen Chadwick, Oxford History of the Christian Church, Oxford University Press 2003 (0-19-926286-1), pp. x + 614, Pb £25 Reviewed by Isabel Wollaston University of Birmingham
Religion and American Culture : A Reader , David G. Hackett (ed.), Second Edition, Routledge 2003 (0-415-94273-X), pp. xvi + 550, Pb £22.95 Reviewed by Jeffrey Marlett The College of Saint Rose, New York
Cut Loose Your Stammering Tongue : Black Theology in the Slave Narrative , Dwight N. Hopkins and George C.L. Cummings (eds), Second Edition, Westminster John Knox Press 2003 (0-664-22521-7), pp. xvi + 205, Pb $24.95 Reviewed by Isabel Wollaston University of Birmingham     

Changes in Religious Behaviors and Attitudes of College Students from 1973 to 1983

THERE SEEMS TO BE little empirical research on religion and religious values among college students, particularly regarding race and sex differences. For example, even though religion has been found to be an important and unifying force among Blacks (White, 1984), there does not seem to be any research on religious change and practices among Black college students. In the literature on female college students and religion, one study on religious attitude change (McAllister, 1981) found womens' attitudes to be more positive and traditional in 1974 than in the early 1960s and 1970s. Additionally, in some studies the relationships have been examined between religious attitudes and beliefs and sexual attitudes and beliefs among female students (King, Abernathy, Robinson, & Balswick, 1976; Mahoney, 1980; Young, 1981). To better understand such trends and relationships, the changes in religion and related values at one university by race and sex were studied over a 10-year period. A 29-item questionnaire on religion and related values was administered to a representative sample of incoming freshmen at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1973 (N = 270: 41% men, 59% women; 70% White, 11% Black) and 1983 (N = 389: 55% men, 45% women; 77% White, 13% Black). Data were analyzed using chi- square and multivariate analysis of variance at the .05 level.     

REVIEWS

The Ethical Thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar by Christopher W. Steck, S. J. (New York, NY: Crossroad, 2001), ix + 226 pp. and The Systematic Thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar. An Irenaean Retrieval by Kevin Mongrain (New York, NY: Crossroad, 2002), xii + 246 pp.
Towards a Theology of God the Father: Hans Urs von Balthasar's Theodramatic Approach by Margaret M. Turek (New York, NY: Peter Lang, 2001), + 327 pp.
The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God by Robert Louis Wilken (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003), xxii + 368pp.
God, Evil, and Innocent Suffering: A Theological Reflection , by John E. Theil (New York, NY: Crossroad, 2002), xi + 179 pp.
Out of the Depths: Women's Experience of Evil and Salvation by Ivone Gebara (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2002), vii + 211 pp.
Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream by Carl Elliott (New York, NY: Norton, 2003), xiii + 357 pp. and Heal Thyself: Spirituality , Medicine and the Distortion of Christianity by Joel James Shuman and Keith G. Meador (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2003), xiii + 174 pp.
Heart and Head: Black Theology—Past, Present, and Future by Dwight N. Hopkins (New York, NY: Palgrave, 2002), xiv + 222 pp.
Jonathan Edwards's Philosophy of History: The Reenchantment of the World in the Age of the Enlightenment by Avihu Zakai (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003), xvii + 348 pp.
Redeeming Nietzsche: On the Piety of Unbelief by Giles Fraser (London and New York: Routledge, 2002), vi + 193 pp.
The Nonviolent Atonement by J. Denny Weaver (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001), xiii + 246 pp.     

A principal components analysis of Rorschach aggression and hostility variables

We examined the structure of 9 Rorschach variables related to hostility and aggression (Aggressive Movement, Morbid, Primary Process Aggression, Secondary Process Aggression, Aggressive Content, Aggressive Past, Strong Hostility, Lesser Hostility) in a sample of medical students (N= 225) from the Johns Hopkins Precursors Study (The Johns Hopkins University, 1999). Principal components analysis revealed 2 dimensions accounting for 58% of the total variance. These dimensions extended previous findings for a 2-component model of Rorschach aggressive imagery that had been identified using just 5 or 6 marker variables (Baity & Hilsenroth, 1999; Liebman, Porcerelli, & Abell, 2005). In light of this evidence, we draw an empirical link between the historical research literature and current studies of Rorschach aggression and hostility that helps organize their findings. We also offer suggestions for condensing the array of aggression-related measures to simplify Rorschach aggression scoring.     

Racial bias in decisions made by mock jurors evaluating a case of sexual harassment

White (N = 161) and Black (N = 152) college students served as mock jurors in a simulated civil case in which a female plaintiff accused a male defendant of sexual harassment. The authors experimentally manipulated the race (Black or White) of the litigants and asked the mock jurors to decide whether the defendant was guilty; to rate the certainty of their belief in the defendant's guilt; and, when they judged the defendant guilty, to recommend an award to the plaintiff. Mock jurors of both races tended to favor litigants of their own race and their own gender. Racial bias was highest among White male jurors and lowest among White female jurors.     

Black and White women's perspectives on femininity

The authors explore how Black and White women view three aspects of normative femininity, and whether self-rated femininity is related to feminism. Through telephone surveys, a nationally representative sample of women (N=1130) rated themselves on feminism and items derived from Collins' (2004) benchmarks of femininity: feminine appearance, traits, and traditional gender role ideology. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed both groups conceptualized femininity as including the same dimensions, although Black women rated themselves higher on items related to feminine appearance. Among White women, traditional gender ideology was negatively related to feminism; among Black women, wearing feminine clothes was positively related to feminism. Results are discussed in terms of possibilities for resistance to the hegemonic concept of femininity that both groups share.     

Partial assessment of technologies

Trade‐Offs: Imperatives of Choice in a High‐Tech World, by Ed Wenk, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986, 238 pages, hb $20     

Review of Feminist Bioethics At the Center, On the Margins, edited by Jackie Leach Scully, Laurel E. Baldwin-Ragaven, Petya Fitzpatrick

Book details

Leach ScullyJackie, Baldwin-RagavenLaurel, Fitzpatrick Petya:Feminist Bioethics At the Center, On the Margins Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press 2010 Xiv307     

Intergroup time bias and racialized social relations

Within the framework of intergroup relations, the authors analyzed the time people spent evaluating ingroup and outgroup members. They hypothesized that White participants take longer to evaluate White targets than Black targets. In four experiments, White participants were slower to form impressions of White than of Black people; that is, they showed an intergroup time bias (ITB). In Study 1 (N = 60), the ITB correlated with implicit prejudice and homogeneity. Study 2 (N = 60) showed that the ITB was independent of the type of trait in question (nonstereotypical vs. stereotypical). Study 3 (N = 100) demonstrated that ITB correlates with racism measured 3 months beforehand, is independent of motivation to control prejudice, and is not an epiphenomenon of homogeneity. In Study 4 (N = 40) participants not only showed the ITB in a racialized social context but also displayed it following a minimal group manipulation.     

Martin Luther King Jr. and Liberation Theology: James Cone,J. Deotis Roberts,and a Methodology of the Oppressed

Abstract: Martin Luther King's legacy as a Black, Baptist preacher and activist is widely known, but his influence in the public sphere has eclipsed his influence in Black Theology. Additionally, since the Black Power movement succeeded the Civil Rights movement, and thereby the Liberationist movement succeeded the Black Social Gospel movement, the foundations King laid became seamlessly integrated into the theology of James Cone and J. Deotis Roberts. Taking King's social analysis, his concern for crucified peoples, and grassroots activism, Cone and Roberts craft the school of Black Theology. Frederick Ware's book, Methodologies of Black Theology outlined the schools of Black Methodology, including the Black Hermeneutical School, which incorporates indigenous sources to inform theology. Walter Strickland II, building upon Ware, argues the Black Hermeneutical School has three schools of interpretive emphasis: Courthouse, Schoolhouse, and Church House. Cone's theology utilises the methodology of the Courthouse while Roberts utilises the methodology of the Church House. This paper argues that Martin Luther King Jr's activism and theology helped develop Cone and Roberts's Black Theological Method. Roberts carries King's legacy as a pastor-theologian, and Cone carries King's legacy as a social activist.     

Inequality as ingroup privilege or outgroup disadvantage: the impact of group focus on collective guilt and interracial attitudes

Among members of privileged groups, social inequality is often thought of in terms of the disadvantages associated with outgroup membership. Yet inequality also can be validly framed in terms of ingroup privilege. These different framings have important psychological and social implications. In Experiment 1 (N = 110), White American participants assessed 24 statements about racial inequality framed as either White privileges or Black disadvantages. In Experiment 2 (N = 122), White participants generated examples of White privileges or Black disadvantages. In both experiments, a White privilege framing resulted in greater collective guilt and lower racism compared to a Black disadvantage framing. Collective guilt mediated the manipulation's effect on racism. In addition, in Experiment 2, a White privilege framing decreased White racial identification compared to a Black disadvantage framing. These findings suggest that representing inequality in terms of outgroup disadvantage allows privileged group members to avoid the negative psychological implications of inequality and supports prejudicial attitudes.     

W. Horsley Gantt—A legend in his time

This article, reprinted by permission of Johns Hopkins University Press, originally appeared inThe Johns Hopkins Medical Journal, Vol. 139 No. 3, September 1976, pgs. 121–126.