What people hear depends on their own experience and worldview, says Teresa Brown, who teaches the art of preaching at Emory U. in Atlanta. "I listen to 60 sermons a week by black and white pastors, you can find something in almost any one that is offensive to somebody."

The key as to whether language is hate speech lies in a preacher's overall message, according to Martin Marty, of the University of Chicago Divinity School and renowned historian of religion. Dr. Marty, who has visited Trinity many times, says, "If Wright only had whites in his searchlight, you might call it [hate speech]. But he goes after the men in his church" about fatherhood, he puts himself and his people under the prophetic spotlight.

"The black church took the distorted version of Christianity that provided the religious justification for slavery, carved out the racist elements ..and implanted new content that actually moved Christianity in this country closer to Jesus' message," says Dr. Braxton.