Michael O. Emerson

As a Rice University sociology professor who teaches on race and ethnic relations, and as co-director of the Institute for Urban Research, Michael Emerson is in a unique position to observe the country’s shifting demographics. While many in society—and even in the church—watch these trends with growing alarm, Emerson sees in them an unprecedented opportunity for the American church. Emerson is the author of 10 books, including the award-winning "Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America" and "Transcending Racial Barriers" (both published by Oxford University Press).