The purpose of my dissertation is to clarify the definition of and to present a practical theological analysis of fragmented spirituality among African American Adolescents. Fragmented spirituality occurs when a person’s deeply held religious beliefs are separated from other critical issues or areas of their life, such as a belief in a personally transformative and protective God and experiences of racism where one never names God as working or calling one to work to end it.

This dissertation includes interviewing African American adolescents to better understand how they conceptualize their spirituality and its connections to their self understanding and communal engagement; and exploring what African American churches are formally teaching youth through an analysis of Urban Ministries, Inc. curriculum and sermons from a sample of African American churches across the country.

This dissertation also contributes to the larger conversation about the connection of religion in American public life by exploring the ways that fragmentation in African American adolescent spirituality can be a “symptom” of trends in the broader American context towards individualism and separation of religion and civic engagement. It also contributes by offering practical suggestions for helping people, particularly African American adolescents, draw upon the resources of their religious communities in addressing communal concerns.