Mormons and the New Racism

• In Event: 262 - Section on Sociology of Religion Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 06. Mormons' Views of Race and Sex

Abstract

This paper explores the LDS Church (Mormon) as an entry point for investigating the ways in which the new racism operates within contemporary religious institutions. Discourse analysis is used to identify the frames through which racial concepts and racial inequality are perpetuated. Despite the LDS Church’s claim that is “universal” and that race no longer matters, this study identifies three key discursive frames through which race and racism continue to operate as core organizing features of U.S. Mormonism. The broader theoretical implications of this study for the sociology of religion and for understanding ongoing processes of U.S. racial formation are considered.

Author

• Nazneen Kane, Mount St. Joseph University