Sanders studies the worship practices and social ethics of the African American family of Holiness, Pentecostal, and Apostolic churches known collectively as the Sanctified Church. She explores several major themes in African American religious and intellectual life from the "exilic" perspective of the Sanctified Church tradition, including the impact of gospel music upon popular culture, the relationship between black religion and black power, and the ecumenical, egalitarian witness of the Christian faith.