Korie Little Edwards is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University. She is former President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Editor-in-Chief for the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, and the co-host of The Elusive Dream Podcast. She is the author of Against All Odds: The Struggle for Racial Integration in Religious Organizations, The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches, Growing up in America: The Power of Race in the Lives of Teens, and the award-winning Smart Suits, Tattered Boots: Black Ministers Mobilizing the Black Church in the Twenty-First Century. Rebecca Y. Kim is Frank R. Seaver Chair Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Ethnic Studies program at Pepperdine University. She is the author of God's New Whiz Kids? Korean American Evangelicals on Campus and The Spirit Moves West: Korean Missionaries in America.
In a time when diversity is both celebrated and under deep assault, leading diverse organizations is challenging. So often I get asked 'Can you recommend a book for Christian leaders of color to help them navigate leading diverse groups?' Now I can! This is the book all should read, written by two of the leading voices on race and religion. A fantastic and deeply needed work, rooted in data, and informed by years of lived experience. * Michael O. Emerson, Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University and co-author of Divided by Faith and The Religion of Whiteness * Estranged Pioneers is an outstanding book on multiracial religion in the United States. Edwards and Kim provide a systematic, thoughtful, and thought provoking analysis of the lives and legacies of pastors of color who led racially diverse congregations. The book highlights pastors' trials, triumphs, and sacrifices as they endeavor to both embody and cultivate a beloved community. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the future of religious multiculturalism and the unique capacities of pastors of color to act as community brokers committed to forging networks across diverse spaces. * Sandra L. Barnes, C.V. Starr Professor of Sociology: Brown University * Estranged by their home communities and treated as inferior by their white peers, pastors of color who lead multiracial congregations are the subjects of this spectacular book. The concepts proposed, the data utilized, and the voices brought forth offer a compelling portrait of the distinctive, racialized problem of pastoral leadership. This timely and welcome study is an excellent scholarly resource that richly serves the brave and committed ministers living out the distinctive challenge of diversity. * Gerardo MartÃ, author of Worship Across the Racial Divide: Religious Music and the Multiracial Congregation *