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African Americans and the Bible: Sacred Texts and Social Structures

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Although African American studies classes often avoid the subject, and Bible scholars pretend there is no such reality, African Americans have been engaging that which has come to be known as the Holy Bible ever since the first slave was brought to the shores of the so-called "New World." Wimbush sees no reason to continue the uncomfortable silence. Instead, calling together experts from psychology, sociology, art history, religion, history, and other fields, Wimbush opens up a dialogue about the uneasy relationship between African Americans and the Bible. Scholars engage folks as disparate as W. E. B. DuBois, August Wilson, Digable Planets, and Orishatukeh Faduma. Subjects range widely, as much to expand the dialogue as to illuminate its breadth and depth. Make no mistake, this is not "easy reading." But regardless of your field, you will find this text richly informative. Do be sure to read the introductory essay and the explanatory essay by Barbara Holdredge. The former sets out the project; the latter details its implications, for at least one field. Also, be, clear, you will not find "Africans" of the Biblical world in this book. That is not the point. But if you are interested in this rich interaction, this book will wet your appetite for future explorations. Let the dialogue begin.