The Black Practice of Disbelief

“Taking note of the recent uptick in Black ‘nones’—i.e., Black Americans who don’t identify with any religion—Pinn delivers an erudite yet accessible look at what it means to be ‘good without God.’ It’s a perceptive window into an often-overlooked—yet increasingly important—system of thought.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Tony Pinn’s The Black Practice of Disbelief opens religious space in which Black does not necessarily equal Christian. It never has, of course. This book can empower Black seekers for whom traditional paths no longer serve. As a Black Unitarian Universalist minister, I treasure that space where the search for meaning is informed, not constrained by categories of identity, and grounded in the complexity of lives as they are really lived.”
—William G. Sinkford, past president of the UUA and transitional minister, All Souls Unitarian, Washington, DC

“For too long, the glorification and acceptance of Black human suffering as a part of religious or spiritual reward have contributed to the dehumanization of the Black community. It is not by accident that most public policies are written in ways that disenfranchise Black lives. The Black Practice of Disbelief amplifies the questions that people are afraid to raise regarding God’s presence or absence when humans suffer. This book is critical in addressing concerns for many of us in the Black community who find ourselves in the space in between religious and secular.”
—Sabrina E. Dent, director, BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation

“This is the book on Black humanism that we’ve been waiting for. Anthony Pinn is not just a scholar of Black religions and humanism but a passionate practitioner. Pinn argues persuasively for Black humanism as a meaning-making ethic, a fervor for justice, art, and activism, and with deeper roots than most people think. This is an illuminating and insightful primer on one of the most misunderstood traditions in Black religiosity.”
—Monica A. Coleman, professor of Africana studies, University of Delaware

Anthony B. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of Humanities and professor of religion at Rice University. He is also the founding director of Rice’s Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning. Pinn is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Professor Extraordinarius at the University of South Africa. In addition, he is Director of Research for the Institute for Humanist Studies. Pinn is the author/editor of numerous books, including Interplay of Things: Religion, Art, and Presence Together (2021).

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