African American Religion Chapter 3 Summary

Such unity and self-determination was evidenced in 1801, when Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church published a hymnal by and for African Americans (Costen, 81). Hymns have served black people in their everyday lives and had and have

Kelly Brown Douglas begins by posing a series of questions, including, “Who is the Black Christ?” and “Is the Black Christ Enough?” (6-7) For Douglas, the Black Christ, “…represents God’s urgent movement in human history to set Black captives free from the demons of White racism” (3). The question of “Who is the Black Christ?” is addressed in Chapter 3. The question of “Is the Black Christ enough?” is addressed in Chapters 4 and 5, as Douglas critically examines the relationship of the Black Christ to the Black community and ends with addressing what womanist theology is and why there is a need for it in understanding the Black Christ.

Peter Randolph, too, presented the durable linkage between African-Americans, especially during slavery. Their alliance was characterized by creating the so called, “plantation churches” whenever they could not attend the actual church services. By doing so, they could simply gather together, remember their traditions, dance, sing, recite their prayers, sorrows or play banjo. All those familiar activities were helping them hold on to their culture, refine their identity and avoid the “Social Death” or “Cultural Genocide” they were subjected to. Similarly, creating the AME Church, along with following churches, such as the Ethiopian Church of Jesus Christ, was a method of showing to the society that the African history and beliefs are not forgotten.

As an African-American in the United States, I participate in activities to help me identify with my race. Yes, there are many types of African-Americans, but we all share similar ideas, values, and traditions that bring everyone closer. As African-Americans, we strongly believe in religion. Since slavery, religion has played a tremendous role in contributing to our beliefs. We believe there is a greater divine who knows our purpose, and has the power to control it. In addition, we believe prayer changes things especially when times become rough and unbearable. It is common for Black children to “grow-up” in the church and attend with their families every Sunday. Although I am in college, this has not change. I attempt to at least go twice out the month.

It gives one a close glimpse at what exactly kept them going strong in this period of mistreatment, and just how they were so spiritually strong even at their weakest physically. It was said to be that African-Americans established this “invisible institution” through signals, passwords, and other things. It was here in Church where they mixed their African rhythms, sang, and praised God.

And upon this ground our ….. and in short is totally repugnant to the idea of being born slaves.” Furthermore, many African Americans were very religious. After the civil war and even during it, many African Americans started their own churches separate to the churches that the whites went to. Reverend Mr. Gloucester, an African American, was a minister at a Presbyterian Church who had “friends of religion and of the poor Africans in Philadelphia subscribed liberally towards building him a church” (Document

The Black Sacred Cosmos was developed through the conjoining of the African traditional past with Western Christianity. It explains the influence of the Middle Passage, and the efforts of enslavers to force assimilation of the Africans to Western religious beliefs and cultural practices. Traditional African religions encompassed all portions of life; believers found something sacred in their daily experiences. Modern day black religions encompass life as well, but there are certain days like Sunday, or Saturday in the Adventist church, where we may dedicate more time to God. Traditional religions were tied to family lines, from birth to death.

In the book Miseducation of The Negro, Carter G. Woodson argues the concept of the systemic education and church organization that have been embedded in us throughout history, which affects African Americans’ in today’s society. Woodson examined the orchestrated events that were created to make Africans’ inferior with people who have no background, and no foundation. The misrepresentation of history in schools has demeaned what Africans have accomplished. In chapter seven through fourteen, Woodson goes in depth of the value of African Americans’ learning their history.

The history of religion in the United States comes a long way dating from the early 1600s when the first pilgrim settlers came to this country. It has been noted that these settlers were highly influenced by the Protestant faith which led to a community level of influence in this country as well. The faith of theses settlers were motivated from the New World of Europe where they practiced their religion in a peaceful environment. Later in history, it was noted that people of Spanish decent started the famous network of the Catholic missions in California. When California became a part of the United States, Catholic churches and institutes were formed. These churches and institutes were also formed in New Orleans and Louisiana.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church also known as the AME Church, represents a long history of people going from struggles to success, from embarrassment to pride, from slaves to free. It is my intention to prove that the name African Methodist Episcopal represents equality and freedom to worship God, no matter what color skin a person was blessed to be born with. The thesis is this: While both Whites and Africans believed in the worship of God, whites believed in the oppression of the Africans’ freedom to serve God in their own way, blacks defended their own right to worship by the development of their own church. According to Andrew White, a well- known author for the AME denomination, “The word African means that our church was

Hughes' description of the church and the presence of Christ were meant to illustrate the religious dependence many African Americans embraced during that time. Many African-Americans enjoyed their religious freedoms and depended on religion to see them through the hard times. African-Americans traditionally considered religion important in their everyday lives ("Black American"). In an article entitled "Henry McNeal Turner," the author states

Although this information on Liberation Theology is essential to understanding of this concept, the focus of our presentation, in relation to our class, was Black Liberation Theology. It is easy to see how African Americans relate to the idea of Liberation Theology, as a historically socially oppressed group of peoples. The encompassed theme of Black Liberation theologians is the concept of God emancipating African Americans from white racism. Jesus in Liberation Theology is commonly represented as a ‘Poor Black Man’, therefore allowing the representation of a relatable figure for the African American people. One way in which we felt the concept of Liberation Theology come together with class discussion, was in relation to the Black Liberation Theologian, James Cone, whom we had previously discussed in class time, leading up to this presentation.

I jumped at the opportunity to complete the extra credit assignment because of the topic. I have always wanted to attend an African American Baptist Church. I was raised Catholic in a predominantly white community and for the chance to experience something different was appealing. I’ve seen the stereotypes in movies and on TV about what an African American Baptist church looks like but I wanted to experience it myself. I wasn’t sure on what to expect but kept an open mind about the situation.

Scholars have dedicated their time and attention to furthering the discipline of African American Studies and can define the field with many different definitions. Through looking at the origins and development in the study we can see how it became a legitimate academic field. As we study the writings of the African American intellect, it will fully explain the importance of the discipline. Their work will justify the study of cultural and historical experiences of Africans living in Africa or the African Diaspora. When examining the scholar’s arguments we can develop our own intellectually informed rationalization of the field of African American Studies.

     Last but not least, in my opinion the spirituality of African people in America has hindered the quest for liberation and empowerment. I believe that we as a people will never find liberation and empowerment through our spirituality. The same people who brought us to this country and made us slaves have taught the spirituality of African people to us. Therefore, by seeking liberation and empowerment through our learned spirituality we are traveling down a dead end road. I’m not saying that it is wrong to believe in the religion that we have been taught. I just think we should consider the source in which we learned this religion. These ideas were introduced to me while I was taking history of Africa. My professor brought forth the idea that we had been faithful believers of a religion that had been taught to us by our enslavers. Many people don’t really think about the way in which we learned this religion. We just grew to accept it as a religion of our own as the years past. Now personally I feel that this issue alone could cause a serious conflict in our religious beliefs, if brought to people’s attention. Having this brought to my attention has caused some conflict in what I believe. I haven’t totally abandoned the religion that I was taught but I have had questions. Although, sometimes I may question my religious