The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song

  • Downloads：3975
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-02-17 04:21:57
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Henry Louis Gates Jr.
  • ISBN：9781984880338
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Editor Reviews

01/04/2021

In the companion volume to a forthcoming PBS documentary of the same name， Gates （Stony the Road） delivers a brisk and insightful look at how the Black church has succored generations of African Americans against white supremacy。 Though whites believed that Christianity would keep enslaved Africans docile and compliant， Gates writes， religion actually enabled them to find the comforts of ritual and music in the only institution they could control。 Gates details how the Black church carved out support networks and the political tools to fight for full citizenship for Black Americans， and forged pathways into American popular music。 Civil rights titans Martin Luther King Jr。 and Malcolm X get their due in Gates’s survey， as do early rebel-preachers like Nat Turner and contemporary religious leaders including William J。 Barber II of North Carolina and Raphael G。 Warnock of Georgia。 Gates also explores the roots of Methodism， Pentecostalism， the Nation of Islam， and other faith traditions; how gender and sexual identity issues have roiled Black churches; and contemporary debates over ministers preaching a “prosperity gospel” and the role of religious institutions in protests over police brutality。 Punctuated by trenchant observations from Black historians and theologians， Gates’s crisp account places religious life at the center of the African American experience。 （Feb。）

Publishers Weekly

Reviews

，

Enoude ，

So far I find this book very educational history and fact's overall So far I find this book very educational history and fact's overall 。。。more

Edward Sullivan ，

This companion book to the PBS series offers a good， informative overview of the central role of the Black Church in African American history， in social justice and as a support network for a community frequently in need of safe spaces。

Raymond ，

Henry Louis Gates Jr。 has written a great book on the history of the Black Church in America。 This book covers the Black religious tradition from the days of slavery to our current moment during the coronavirus pandemic。 Along the way， Gates tells how important the Black Church has been as a source of spiritual renewal and political power for centuries。This book is a historical survey of the Black Church， meaning it covers a lot of broad topics as it relates to the Black American religious exper Henry Louis Gates Jr。 has written a great book on the history of the Black Church in America。 This book covers the Black religious tradition from the days of slavery to our current moment during the coronavirus pandemic。 Along the way， Gates tells how important the Black Church has been as a source of spiritual renewal and political power for centuries。This book is a historical survey of the Black Church， meaning it covers a lot of broad topics as it relates to the Black American religious experience。 Many of the topics could and probably have their own standalone books。 Gates’s book could have been alot longer， but it does a good job of giving the reader a well researched and thorough examination of the Black Church’s evolution。What makes this book special is that Gates was able to talk to a diverse group of people including celebrities， musical artists， clergy， and religion scholars about the Black Church’s significance。 Notable names include: Yolanda Adams， Bishop Michael Curry， Rev。 Dr。 Michael Eric Dyson， Kirk Franklin， Bishop T。 D。 Jakes， John Legend， Rev。 Al Sharpton， Rev。 Senator Raphael Warnock， Oprah Winfrey， and Rev。 Jeremiah Wright。One of the important points that Gates makes is that Black enslaved people shaped and adapted Christianity in their own way， not how it was taught to them by white slaveholders。 Enslaved people infused African traditions in their version of Christianity that are still with us in some form today， traditions such as the ring shout and spirit possession。Gates also covers the challenges the Black Church faced and continues to face in our current moment。 The debate over worship styles （charismatic vs。 more mainline） is an ongoing one since the end of the 19th Century; while the prosperity gospel vs liberation theology message is an issue that the Black Church has focused on since the early 20th Century。 The influence of secular music on Black gospel music is another point of contention。 There was resistance from Black church members of gospel music because of its blues and rock and roll elements。 Nowadays there is resistance to gospel music that has a more hip-hop feel to it。 Thomas Dorsey and Kirk Franklin were innovators in their respective eras on shifting the boundaries of gospel music for a new generation of Christians。Readers should know that this is mostly a story about Black Christianity in America。 There are substantial mentions of Black Muslims during slavery; the Nation of Islam and Malcolm X also are covered but it is not at the same level as Black Christians are discussed。Gates closes his book， in the Epilogue， by discussing the role of the Holy Ghost in the Black Church tradition， specifically the concepts of “getting happy” and “speaking in tongues”。 He tells a personal story of his experiences of going to a church where “catching the spirit” was common。 Ultimately he makes a verdict about its significance in the Black religious tradition。I enjoyed reading this book especially as someone who grew up in a Black Church。 I learned alot of facts I was unfamiliar with before。 Readers of Black history， religious studies， and PBS series （this is a companion book to a series by the same name） will enjoy reading this informative work。Thanks to NetGalley， Penguin Press， and Dr。 Henry Louis Gates， Jr。 for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review。 This book will be released on February 16， 2021。Review first published here: https://medium。com/ballasts-for-the-m。。。 。。。more

Jessica Howard ，

An interesting history of the Black Church in America， and a discussion of the pivotal role the Church has played in Black culture。"In a world of utter instability，  where African American families could be torn apart at a moment's notice， the enslaved found a rock in the religion and practices they developed in communion with one another。。。"Full review coming for Shelf Awareness。 An interesting history of the Black Church in America， and a discussion of the pivotal role the Church has played in Black culture。"In a world of utter instability，  where African American families could be torn apart at a moment's notice， the enslaved found a rock in the religion and practices they developed in communion with one another。。。"Full review coming for Shelf Awareness。 。。。more

Jennifer Schultz ，

Read if you: Want a revealing， intriguing， and inspiring succinct look at the Black American church， from slavery days to present time。 Librarians/booksellers: A PBS documentary of the same name will premiere February 2021。 This will likely be in demand。 Many thanks to Penguin Group/The Penguin Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review。