Del i serien Class 200: New Studies in Religion

Forgive Us Our Debts

Nyhet

How Black Churches Use Bankruptcy to Survive

Häftad, Engelska, 2026

AvPamela Foohey

469 kr

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A revelatory study of how Black churches turn the financial system back against predatory lenders.When American churches face financial difficulties, a disproportionately high number of Black churches reorganize under chapter 11 bankruptcy. There are no easy explanations for this distinction: not location, denomination, leadership structure, or the reasons for the loans. In Forgive Us Our Debts, legal scholar Pamela Foohey asks why, then, Black churches account for two-thirds of all congregations that file for chapter 11 bankruptcy every year. Drawing on case studies of six Black churches and one white church, and 150 interviews with church leaders, members, and attorneys, Foohey finds answers in a long history of predatory lending. Unable to negotiate with recalcitrant loan officers, Black churches turn to the legal system to force reasonable concessions from lenders to prevent the stripping of their wealth and the destruction of their communities. While the structural discrimination remains, these churches have found in the bankruptcy system a refuge and some power to fight back.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-09-21
Mått152 x 229 x 22 mm
Vikt399 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
SerieClass 200: New Studies in Religion
Antal sidor288
FörlagThe University of Chicago Press
ISBN9780226851587

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List of IllustrationsIntroduction: Churches on the Brink of FailurePart I: Churches and Financial Setbacks1 Churches in Financial Crisis2 The Path to Recovery3 Please Forgive Us Our DebtsPart II: Bankruptcy as a Way to Deal with Stubborn Lenders4 Deciding to File Bankruptcy5 Journeying Through Reorganization6 Making Deals and Confirming PlansPart III: Reorganization as a Path to Black Churches’ Growth and Prosperity7 The Benefits and Drawbacks of Reorganization8 Thriving PostbankruptcyConclusion: Bankruptcy as a Pathway to SurvivalAcknowledgmentsAppendix: MethodologyNotesIndex

“This compelling book is as surprising as it is informative. The surprise lies in convincingly showing that filing for bankruptcy can empower churches and provide a path not just to survive but to thrive. Drawing back the curtain on church bankruptcy experiences, Forgive Us Our Debts is a must-read for any church leaders—not just Black church leaders—facing the prospect of losing their building to a mortgage lender.”