Slave Religion Research Paper

During the years of slavery in America, slave associations were of great concern to slave owners. Many members of white society saw Black religious meetings as a threat to white existence. Despite this, slaves relied heavily on the churches, as they offered a kind of therapy for them, and as the slaves retained their faith in God, they found protection within their churches. Although the slaves practiced their religion, the white community did not always accept the slaves as Christians. An unknown slave said, “The white folks would come in when the colored people would have prayer meeting, and whip every one of them. Most of them thought that when colored people were praying it was against them.” The Church has long been the center of Black communities, and it has established itself as a great source of religious enrichment and secular development for African

Since the arrival of African Americans in this country blacks have always had differing experiences. Consequently, African-Americans have had to forge a self-identity out of what has been passed on to them as fact about their true selves. History has wrought oppression and subjugation to this particular race of people and as a result, certain institutions were formed in order aid African-Americans, culturally, spiritually and economically. The African-American Church has served of one such institution. From the time of slavery, though outlawed, many slaves found ways to congregate and form their own "churches", away from the one-sided and bias lessons about the bible that they were being taught in the white church. The white ministers and

his side helps secure the notion that the possibility of a future could be sought and

African slaves were brought to America from many tribes and they brought with them a variety of beliefs and practices. In some ways, the religion that many West Africans practiced bears a striking resemble to the practices of Christianity and Judaism. There are however several differences that make it clear that it is its own separate faith. On the plantations in America slaves were taught a “modify” version of Christianity so that they would obey their masters, and often times slaves would hold their own services. Other slaves believed in and practice what was called “conjuration” along with Christianity.

During a most dark and dismal time in our nations history, we find that the Africans who endured horrible circumstances during slavery, found ways of peace and hope in their religious beliefs. During slavery, Africans where able to survive unbearable conditions by focusing on their spirituality.

African firmly believes that there is a living communion or bond of life which makes for solidarity among members of the same family. Before Christianity, Africans did have their own system of salvation. In traditional religions, salvation can and does take the form of courage to face the reality of morality. The church was looked art as a place for political activity, a source of economic cooperation, an agency of social control, and a refuge in a hostile white world. Slaves worshiped with great enthusiasm. Religion, after all, provided a ready refuge from their daily miseries and kindled the hope that one day their sorrows might end. Planter's actually encouraged religious observances among their slaves hoping that exposure to Christian precepts might make their laborers more docile, less prone to run away, and more cooperative and efficient workers. But slaves turned biblical scriptures to their own purposes forging a theology that often emphasized the theme of liberation. It was easy for them to see, for example, in the figure of Moses a useful model for their own dreams; like the Israelites, they too were ready to cross a River Jordan into a promised land of freedom. The religious services held in the quarters provided slaves with so many positive experiences that, even as they were being exploited, they managed bravely, but perhaps not too surprisingly, to feel that they were free within themselves. In this way slaves began to achieve a degree of liberation well

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

Christianity was new to most slaves who had been abducted from their native country and taken to the Americas. Some were hesitant to abandon their old traditions for the Christ their white captors taught of, but after several generations of slavery, most black slaves had succumbed to relentless preaching. However, the Christianity that took hold within the slave community was often interpreted differently, conveying different messages to pockets of slave population. The use of Christianity in slavery was a double edged sword, creating not only a tool for control, but a weapon of discontent in slave communities. Examining the works of Richard Allen and the stories of Nat Turner, create a narrative of how Christianity was applied differently to slaves.

Slaves lived in constant danger and fear. Their lives were very difficult, and American laws didn't protect enslaved families. The textbook states on page 433, "If a father or mother were sold away, an aunt, uncle, or close friend could raise the children left behind". In slaves' marriage ceremonies they included the phrase "until death or separation do us apart" knowing that there was a chance that one spouse could be sold away. They made a network of family and friends as their extended family in case a spouse was sold away. Slaves saw Christianity as a religion of hope and resistance. The textbook states on page 433, "They prayed fervently for the day when they would be free from bondage". Full of hope, African Americans prayed that they would be freed from slavery.

One of the first things that attracted the African American slaves to Christianity was a way of obtaining the salvation of theirs souls based on the Christian’s idea of a future reward in heaven or punishment in hell, which did not exist in their primary religion. The religious principles inherited from Africa sought purely physical salvation and excluded the salvation of the soul. However, they did believe in one supreme God, which made it easier for them to assimilate Christianity.

While conducting research, Lemuel Haynes was found to be one of the most influential African-American religious leaders that argued against slavery. Sidwell, (1999) stated that ?To the late twentieth century, when Christians vigorously debate the question of racial reconciliation and how to achieve it,?Lemuel?Haynes?represents a significant symbolic ?first?, the first black pastor of a white congregation?. Lemuel Haynes was the illegitimate son of a black father and a white mother. ?Haynes?grew up as an indentured servant to the Rose family in Massachusetts. An indentured servant is men and women who signed a contract or covenant by which they agreed to work for a certain number of years in exchange for transportation to Virginia and, once they arrived, they received food, clothing, and shelter. The Rose family gave him an education and treated him like one of their own children. After the end of his period of indenture, he served in the Continental Army during the Revolution, with the support and encouragement of the Roses and others; he was ordained to the ministry (Sidwell, 1999). The following essay will discuss his legacy and contributions to society.

South Carolina had the largest exports of African slaves in 1715. “Church authorities urged missionaries to pursue African Christianization in their parishes, despite planter’s opposition.”(202). Majority of South Carolina’s population was Africans and Indians. Thomas Hasell sat aside once a week to catechize Africans whose masters allowed participating. “Between twenty and thirty Negro men and women constantly attend.” (202). Many Africans went to Francis Le Jau seeking baptism but he required slaves to take oaths first. To make they were doing it for the right reasons and to make sure they would follow all of the rules. Many ministers had to deal with resistance, like when a “white man in his parish who declared that he would not take communion so long as Africans were received at the table.” (204).

that freed slaves during the mid-19th century. Baquaqua’s story provides evidence of the important role of the American Free Baptist Movement providing educational, financial, and transportation assistance to Baquaqua in order to escape the bonds of slavery. The role of Mr. Jones and R. Mr. Judd provide accurate examples of the influence of the Baptist faith on Baquaqua, which inspired him to convert to Christianity in Haiti. However, the implicit bias of “Christian influence” on Baquaqua may be questionable during his stay in New York and Boston, yet the more concrete example of R. Mr. Judd’s influence on Baquaqua seems to confirm the conversion process as part of the liberation of Baquaqua from slavery during this time of his life. In this manner, evidence taken from the primary source of Baquaqua’s narrative provides a deeper understanding of the impact of Christian abolitionist movements in the liberation and freedom of former slaves during the 19th century.

It can be assumed that Christianity shaped slave culture in several ways such as developing a common bond among slaves. At the some time, it could also be argued that slavery altered Christianity in various ways including the formation of Methodist and Baptist denominations. However, these were not the only manners in which both cultures had an effect on each other. Black converts dramatically increased the number of Christians in the New World. The ideas instilled in slaves by Christianity gave some slaves thoughts of rebellion and influenced African-American music and dance. Not to mention the church was a major supporter of the proslavery argument which conveyed slavery as a positive thing during the

As the trans-Atlantic slave trade occurred, people from several Western African regions brought their religious beliefs with them. The spiritual beliefs of West African groups and Islam were both brought over by slaves, but Christianity became a new outlet for religious expression for enslaved Africans. There was not a strong pressure for slaves convert to Christianity initially, so the cultural bonds between Africa and the enslaved remained intact (Gomez 1998: 249). Therefore, slaves were able to quietly practice African traditions as well as be a part of later conversion movements (p. 251). Slaves were also able to obtain hierarchical roles based on religious pursuits, which could give them certain privileges other slaves did not have.