African American Religion Essay

African American Studies is a very complex subject. To confuse African American studies with black history is a common occurrence. African American studies is much deeper and more profound than just Black history alone. There are many unanswered and unasked questions among the Black American culture which causes confusion and misunderstanding in modern day society. In unit one there were many themes, concepts, and significant issues in the discipline of Africana studies. Both W.E.B Du Bois and Vivian V. Gordan touched on many concerns.

Black religion was no longer regarded as exemplary or special. During a time of growing segregation and violence, some black leaders attempted to counter this perspective seen by whites by embracing the romantic racialist notions that “blacks possessed peculiar gifts.” These gifts being directly connected to the importance of black churches in a time of direct exclusion of blacks from other pieces of society.

During my early years of school, I remember being taught white accomplishments and wondering if blacks and other people of color had made any significant contributions to today's world. I noticed that television consist of all white people. Throughout my research paper I hope to cover certain aspects of African American heritage. Aspects such as blacks making up the largest minority group in the United States, although Mexican-Americans are rapidly changing that. The contributions blacks have provided to our country are immeasurable. Unfortunately though rather than recognizing these contributions, white America would rather focus on oppressing and degrading these people. As a consequence American

The development of Black Theology in the United was one that shocked the nation as a whole. While in slavery, Blacks had to sneak and hold church services. This was partly because Whites felt that Blacks were not able to be accepted into heaven, and they believed that once one as a Christian they could no longer be enslaved. So to appease their conscience they would not allow Blacks to take part in theology. Due to these issues Black Theology soon originated within the United States.

As the only white individual entering the church on Sunday I felt extremely out of place and very uncomfortable, at first. Upon entering the church, before I could even find a place to sit, the pastor came to welcome me and showed me a place to sit for the service. The pastor was very kind and so welcoming that my nervousness and worry started to vanish. Once I was seated and more people entered the church, I was treated as if I had always been there and was part of the group. Although I was the minority at the service I did feel very comfortable with my surroundings and with the people in attendance. The whole experience was very interesting and broadened my perspective on the African American culture.

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

Culture is not a fixed phenomenon, nor is it the same in all places or to all people. It is relative to time, place, and particular people. Learning about other people can help us to understand ourselves and to be better world citizens.

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

What I found disappointing about the surveys provided was that there seem to be no means to verify the information collected. The questions asked in the survey were subjective. If I were to contact a church and ask if they offer outreach, the majority will say yes. When asked what type of outreach the answers would be similar. Do you offer services to youth? Yes, most churches have youth ministries. Do you offer any form of education based programs? This would fall under Sunday school and Bible Study, both staples in most churches. Do you have prison outreach? Again, churches offer this ministry, which typically amounts to several members going to a local prison and praying with prisoners. If the questions were more in-depth the survey

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.

Black American churches have been the most important social institution in the black community and serves as a center for health screening, promotion and counseling. Many blacks hold their church with high esteem, therefore being an important coping resource for the African Americana community. To African Americans God is thought to be the spiritual healer.

African American religious music is the foundation of all contemporary forms of so called “black music.” African American religious music has been a fundamental part of the black experience in this country. This common staple of the African American experience can be traced back to the cruel system of slavery. It then evolved into what we refer to today as gospel music. The goal of this paper is to answer three main questions. What are the origins of African American religious music? How did this musical expression develop into a secular form of music? What is the future of African American religious music? These questions will be answered through factual research of African American traditions, artists, and various other sources.

“The number of blacks who received religious instruction in antebellum white churches is significant because the church was the only institution other than the plantation which played a major role in acculturating the slave “(Blassingame, The Slave Community, p. 98). African Americans found their strength in the church, because they secretly met outside of the church in invisible churches to discuss freedom, liberty, and how god is judging against the slave-owners. The church offered a sanctuary against the harsh realities of the plantation and allowed them to connect with one another and gain

African-American religion dealt with life as blacks lived it. It was about pain and sorrow, sin and shortcoming, pardon and joy, praise and thanksgiving, grace and hope. This version of Evangelicalism provided a wonderful benefit; it was able to accomplish great things in their lives that were frequently shouted about. Whether it be through a simple shout during church, or a song sung in the fields Evangelicalism took root among African-Americans. Large numbers underwent conversion, baptism, instruction, worship, and lived the life of a Christian even in face of oppression. Although, the development of their own religious institutions would await Emancipation and the war 's end, there were many thousands of Negro Baptists and Methodists by 1850, which represented what African-American religious culture had grown into.

African Americans began to organize their own religious ceremonial services secretly in the slave quarters. They would use gestures, code words, and communication not apparent to the Caucasian people. The believers were summoned to the slave quarters where they open heartedly shared beliefs with evangelical Christianity, cultural rhythms, and beautiful singing. As time passed, the spirituals, with strong beliefs of religious deliverance and freedom from slavery, progressed and prospered. African American preachers believed that God had called them to speak his Word, cultured their "chanted sermons”, or cadenced, chanted way of extemporaneous preaching. “Part church, part psychological refuge, and part organizing point for occasional acts of outright rebellion these meetings provided one of the few ways for enslaved African Americans to express and enact their hopes for a better future” (Nat Turner 1831).