Health researchers often seek to leverage pastoral authority in Black churches to forge community partnerships that address racial health disparities in the United States. Yet, researchers have not fully recognized the range (and limits) of pastoral authority as well as the complex role of religion in African American health. Here we explore how health and science are engaged in Black Church contexts and what role pastoral authority plays in this process. Drawing on focus groups with Black pastors and interviews with congregants, we outline three different dimensions of pastoral authority: gatekeeper, connector, and moral exemplar. We argue that these dimensions create tensions between the priestly and prophetic mandates of Black pastors, which in turn impact how church members engage with health resources and scientific knowledge. These results complicate current understandings of how authority functions in Black churches while underscoring the need to seriously consider Black Religion in studies of religion, health, and science.

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在先知和祭司之间：黑人牧区权威在健康和科学促进中的作用

健康研究人员经常寻求利用黑人教堂的牧师权威来建立解决美国种族健康差异的社区伙伴关系。然而，研究人员尚未完全认识到牧区权威的范围（和限制）以及宗教在非裔美国人健康中的复杂作用。在这里，我们探讨了健康和科学如何在黑人教会的背景下参与，以及牧区权威在这个过程中扮演的角色。通过与黑人牧师的焦点小组和对会众的采访，我们概述了牧灵权威的三个不同维度：看门人、联系者和道德榜样。我们认为，这些方面在黑人牧师的祭司职权和先知职权之间造成了紧张关系，这反过来又影响了教会成员如何利用卫生资源和科学知识。