analyzes ways in which the two most vital institutions of the Black experience – families and churches – are working with schools and health providers to respond to contemporary challenges and improve the twenty-first century life chances of African Americans and others.

Townsand Price-Spratlen (PhD, University of Washington) is Associate Professor of Sociology at Ohio State University. He is an urban sociologist who researches historical and contemporary community capacity building. His current focus is analyzing grassroots and faith-affiliated organizations to better understand how faith informs health, well-being, and social justice outcomes.

Contents: Community Capacity Building in an Age of Faith? Pedagogy and Tensions of Nurturing Sanctuary – Service Learning in the Faith and Health of African American Youth – Reflecting Faith: Service Learning and Community-Engaged Pedagogy – The Erotic in the Faith Socialization of Black Churches – Strengthening the Bridge Between Us: Intergenerational Capacity Building in Contemporary Black Faith – Community Capacity Building Toward Nurturing Sanctuary – Epilogue: A Conversation with Pastor Orinda Hawkins Brinkley.