 The local prevalence of such churches blunts the violent crime-producing effects of concentrated structural disadvantage on both overall violent crime and black violent crime.Overall, this research has helped to create conceptual space for cultural explanations of violence (including religion) alongside and in tandem with structural explanations.Jeffery Ulmer has been awarded funding for his research from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Justice, the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, The Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission on Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Fairness, the Falk Foundation, and other organizations.