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The History of Black Americans and the Black Church

The church and religion has played and continues to play a big role in the African-American community. Yet, many of us who grew up in the traditional black church do not have an understanding of how our faith evolved under the duress of slavery and discrimination to be and to represent what it does today. The purpose of this broadcast is to provide that background knowledge while also pointing out the dividing line between what is just tradition and true faith in Jesus Christ.
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Now displaying: April, 2015
Apr 23, 2015

Our Scripture verse for today is Romans 14:11 which reads: "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, "Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens." He said, "What is the psychology in Black preaching? First, there is the negative aspect. This negative and potentially detrimental aspect plays on and deliberatively seeks the emotions of the people. Those who employ this method of preaching may or may not be genuine. Such individuals know well the language, idioms, and culture of the people and congregation; they know well how to create an atmosphere that is capable of drawing people into an experience. In the presence of such 'preaching,' if one would withdraw from the experience and become an observer, one would probably describe what is happening as devoid of much substance and content. From such a vantage point, the major goal of the ‘preaching’ would seemingly be to create an experience, a happening. One would find it difficult to differentiate some of what occurs in such a service from what one would see at a major concert or other entertainment events. This type of 'preaching' fits King's description of what often occurs in what he calls the 'Burn-up Church.' Persons who do this non-genuinely are using the people for their own benefits—whether to 'fleece the flock' or for some other motive."

 

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled "The African Way of Life -- Economic Life (Part 2)" from the book, "From Slavery to Freedom" by John Hope Franklin. 

Domestic animals were a part of almost every farm, but in some areas the rural people devoted most of their attention to the grazing of sheep and cattle and the raising of chickens and other fowl. In northeastern Africa some tribes were known for their great skill in the breeding and care of cattle. In the east, many villages ascribed so much importance to the raising of cattle that wealth was measured in terms of heads of cattle. The Bantu and Khoikhoi engaged in farming as well as large-scale cattle raising. 

Artisanry was a significant area of economic activity. Even less complex communities contained members who were skilled along various lines. Many groups exhibited remarkable knowledge of basketry, textile weaving, pottery, woodwork, and metallurgy. The Pygmies manufactured bark cloth and fiber baskets. The Khoikhoi devoted much time and attention to making clothing from textiles, skins, and furs. The Ashantis of the Gold Coast wove rugs and carpets and turned and glazed pottery with considerable skill. In many parts of the Sudan there was extensive manufacturing of woodenware, tools, and implements. 

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Our second topic for today is "The Invisible Institution Comes Into Existence, Part 1" from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier. He writes:

It is no exaggeration to say that the "invisible institution" of the Negro church took root among the enslaved blacks. The key to an understanding of the "invisible institution" may be found in the typical remark of an ex-slave who wrote: “Our preachers were usually plantation folks just like the rest of us. Some man who had a little education and had been taught something about the Bible would be our preacher. The colored folks had their code of religion, not nearly so complicated as the white man's religion, but more closely observed... When we had our meetings of this kind, we held them in our own way and were not interfered with by the white folks."

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Our third and final topic for today is from "The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook" by Dr. William A. Banks. Today we are looking at the section titled, "The Rise of the Black Preacher"

In time, the Black preacher played a significant role in the development of Black society. The Whites supplied the preachers most of the time in Black churches during this era. And in White churches to which Blacks were allowed to come, White ministers preached. Occasionally, Black exhorters were allowed to speak from the floor (not from the pulpit). Some congregations had Black preachers (mostly free Blacks) who became well known for their effectiveness. In the North, Lemuel Haynes was perhaps best known. Born in Connecticut in 1753, he grew to manhood in Massachusetts, served in the Revolutionary War and later was licensed to preach in the Congregational Church. One of the first Blacks in America to pastor a White congregation, he served various churches in Vermont for more than twenty years.

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Apr 17, 2015

Our Scripture verse for today is Hebrews 1:3 which reads: "[Jesus] being the brightness of [God's] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, "Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens." He said, "In his analysis of Black preaching, Mitchell listed two principles of effective Black preaching: 'The first is that one must declare the gospel in the language and culture of the people -- the vernacular. The second hermeneutic principle is that the gospel must speak to the contemporary man and his needs.' Hamilton further noted that two of the greatest compliments one could pay to Black preachers were: (1) that they know their Bible well and (2) that they can really preach... Black preaching is still an art form that has many unique and positive features. However, it is unfortunate that in some circles and at certain times, the style of preaching has become as important (and sometimes more so) as the content of the message. For some, 'preaching' has not occurred unless it is done in a certain manner. There is much psychology in some preaching styles and those who employ them know it and can cater to it."

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “The African Way of Life -- Economic Life” from the book, "From Slavery to Freedom" by John Hope Franklin. 

It would be erroneous to assume that Africans were either primarily nomadic or simply agricultural. There exists in Africa such a diversity of physical environments that it would be impossible for people to evolve identical ways of life in different parts of the continent. Essentially agricultural, the peoples of Africa displayed a remarkable degree of specialization within this ancient economic pursuit. The African concept of landownership stemmed from the importance of agriculture in the peoples' way of life. The land was considered so important to the entire community that it belonged not to individuals but to the collective community, which was comprised of the first occupants of the soil. One of the most important local dignitaries was the "master of the ground," who was at the same time the grand priest of the local religion and the administrator of the soil. The importance of this official can be clearly seen, it may be recalled, in the fact that not even the political ruler could make any disposition of land without the consent of the master of the ground. Individuals or groups of people could obtain the right to use a given parcel of land, but such permission did not carry with it the right of alienation or any other form of disposition. When the land was not used productively, it reverted to the collective domain. 

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Our second topic for today is "The Negro Adapts Christianity to His Experience in the New World, Part 4" from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier. He writes:

For a people who had been separated from kinsmen and friends, it was inevitable that the ties of kinship formed in the New World should be the most valued form of human association. This was especially true in respect to the relationship between the mother and her children since, generally, no recognition was accorded the relationship between spouses and the father and his children.

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Our third and final topic for today is from "The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook" by  Dr. William A. Banks

Today we are looking at the section titled, “The Work of Various Denominations Among the Slaves”

During the last half of the eighteenth century, near the time of the American Revolution, certain events occurred that helped spread Christianity among the Blacks. First, the inventions of the cotton gin, spinning and weaving machines, and the increased demand for cotton played a large part in the need to import more slaves to work in the Southern soil so ideal for cotton. Second, and more important perhaps, the religious revival that took place from Maine to Georgia began to touch the lives of the Blacks. Beginnings of this revival, called the Great Awakening, occurred in New Jersey in the 1720s with the preaching of a German named Frelinghuysen. 

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Apr 9, 2015

Our Scripture verse for today is Hebrews 1:3 which reads: "[Jesus] being the brightness of [God's] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, "Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens." He said, "Part of the reason for the multiple roles of the Black Pastor has historically been that the pastor was invariably one of the most influential and articulate members of Black church society; frequently they were the most educated members of the Black community. Thus, the community and congregation demanded and, at minimum, expected them to be available to assist with their various needs. The Black pastor was and still often remains a 'counselor' to those facing family, marital, and personal difficulties. Moreover, the pastor has traditionally played a role in helping persons and families deal with death and grief issues. Their sermons often speak to these difficulties, as well as to issues of oppression and racism and thus provide hope in the midst of trials and tribulations through their teaching and sermons."

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks. 

Our first topic for today is titled “The African Way of Life -- Political Institutions, Part 2” from the book, "From Slavery to Freedom" by John Hope Franklin. We are going to look at the West African Coast and European Merchant-Traders.

The power to govern a state usually resided in a given family and was transmitted by it. Two other families, however, performed important functions in establishing a royal personage on the throne: the electing family and the enthroning family. The electing family could exercise a choice within the royal family. In this way, Africans recognized the stabilizing effect that a royal family might have on the political fortunes of the people. At the same time, they were practical enough to recognize the fact that the eldest son was not necessarily the ablest or most desirable and felt free to choose their ruler from among any of the male members of the royal family. The new king could exercise no authority until he had been properly invested in office by those so designated by the enthroning family. These practices had the effect of ensuring the people a more satisfactory monarch than automatic descent of authority might give them. 

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Our second topic for today is "The Negro Adapts Christianity to His Experience in the New World, Part 3" from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier. He writes:

From the standpoint of his earthly condition, the Negro was constantly concerned with death. In a recent lecture dealing with the Spirituals, a distinguished Negro minister has pointed out that for the slave death was an ever-present and compelling fact "because of the cheapness with which his life was regarded. The slave was a tool, a thing, a utility, a commodity, but he was not a person. He was faced constantly with the imminent threat of death, of which the terrible overseer was the symbol; and the awareness that he (the slave) was only chattel property, the dramatization?" 

One only needs to recall the words of many of the Spirituals to realize how important death was to the slaves and later to the emancipated Negro.

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Our third and final topic for today is from "The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook" by  Dr. William A. Banks

Today we are looking at the section titled, “Revival -- 1777-1819: The Protestant Episcopal Church”

The eighteenth century brought a number of changes regarding evangelism among Blacks. Fears that conversion meant freedom from servitude were allayed. Various legal rulings stated that Christianity was not a legal barrier to slavery. Feeling freer to evangelize, the denominations became busier. The Anglican Society of the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, founded in 1701 and intended to care for British emigrants, soldiers, officials, and merchants, soon turned its attention to American Blacks and Native Americans. 

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Apr 2, 2015

Our Scripture verse for today is Matthew 20:17-19 which reads: "And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again."

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, "Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens." He said, "The Black pastor has historically been and in many cases continues to be preacher, poet, exhorter, teacher, 'social worker,' 'psychologist,' businessperson, politician, orator, civil rights leader, and community organizer. Hamilton stated: 'Black preachers have always been pacifiers, passive resisters, and vigilantes. And each type has had, and continues to have to this day, substantial following in the black communities. They have this in common: They have all been leaders of their people—people needing comfort, instruction, encouragement and guidance. At some point during slavery, the various preachers filled, in their own ways, these needs.'"

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “The African Way of Life -- Political Institutions, Part 1” from the book, "From Slavery to Freedom" by John Hope Franklin. We are going to look at the West African Coast and European Merchant-Traders.

It is obviously impossible to make very many generalizations concerning the way of life in a continent as large as Africa, with so many variations in climate, physiography, and population. As in any other area, at any other time, Africa presents variations in degrees of civilization that run the entire gamut from the most simple to remarkably advanced ones. At this point little more can be done than to observe various aspects of the African way of life with a view to understanding more adequately the cultural heritage of these people who have come to claim the concern of Europeans and Americans in recent centuries. If the emphasis here appears to be placed on the way of life in West Africa, it is because there seems to be merit in trying to secure as intimate an understanding as possible of the area in which the bulk of the people lived who later became the black workers of the Americas. 

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Our second topic for today is "The Negro Adapts Christianity to His Experience in the New World, Part 2" from The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier. He writes:

On the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia where the slaves were most isolated from whites, some of the Negro Spirituals reveal some continuity with their African background. This continuity is to be found especially in what has been called the Afro-American shout songs. These shout songs are so named because they were sung and are still sung while the Negro worshippers are engaged in what might be called a holy dance. This may be regarded as an example of the most primitive and elemental expression of religion among American Negroes. Moreover, it provides an excellent illustration of Marett's contention that primitive man "does not preach his religion, but dances it instead." 

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Our third and final topic for today is from "The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook" by William A. Banks. Today we are looking at the section titled, “Little Progress Made in the Evangelism of the Slaves”

In these early days of slavery, Christianity made little progress among the slaves. First, it was only natural that the new arrivals were slow to break away from African rituals that were a part of their former way of life. Second, the slaves’ general interest in religion was slight, and very little was done to encourage them to become Christians even though “Christianizing” them was one of the earliest justifications given by Europeans for the slave trade. Failure to evangelize was in part traceable to the low spiritual state of the Whites themselves. There simply were no strong evangelical churches in America at the time. 

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