The Black Church in America: African American Christian Spirtuality (Religious Life in America) [Hardcover]

Michael Battle (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1405118911 | ISBN-13: 978-1405118910 | Publication Date: May 31, 2006 | Edition: 1

This book gives readers a broad understanding of the Black Church in America and a sense of its uniqueness in the wider world.

• Explores the history of the Black Church in America, its African roots, beliefs, practices, politics, and contemporary moral dilemmas
  
• Argues that in the Black Church, individual and communal destiny are bound together
  
• The author is a Priest in the Episcopal Church and teaches spirituality and Black Church studies at Duke University.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This work is a good contribution to the other books that are in the field of African American spirituality." (Expository Times, December 2008)

"The key to understanding Battle's fine study of the black church is found in his background as an African American Episcopal priest. His major thesis is that a strong sense of community pervades African American spirituality, which comes from communal African religious traditions and the survival needs of enslaved Africans in a hostile American environment. Although Battle's treatment of the historical material is not new, his emphasis on the communal worship and spirituality of African American Christianity is an important theological direction. Deeply influenced by the theology of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who ordained him, Battle (Virginia Theological Seminary) argues that the communal spirituality of African Americans should be inclusive, eventually "inviting others to be black." He pushes this theme of community and reconciliation with a chapter that elaborates on Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of "the Beloved Community," indicating that the black church can be the fulfillment of that view. He concludes the study with two challenges: a "Churchless Black Church" and a "Womanless Black Church." The book includes a historical time line and a bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and specialists in the field." (Choice)

"The African American churches need less absolutizing in order to undertake their great task of addressing the still rampant inequality and structural racism that criminalizes so many of their young males and reduces others to passivity. A radical gospel is needed more than ever, and it is to be hoped that this book will stimulate research to galvanize the churches into reflective action." (Theological Book Review)

"An intriguing attempt at building a case for an African American Spirituality that is communal and relational in nature." (Expository Times)

Review

"Michael Battle's book is a wise and bold treatment of the most complex phenomenon in Afro-American life: The Black Church. We need to listen to his words." 
–Cornel West, Princeton University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (May 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405118911
• ISBN-13: 978-1405118910
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,090,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Black Church in America: African American Christian Spirituality, February 17, 2010

By 

K. Saunders (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Black Church in America: African American Christian Spirituality (Religious Life in America) (Paperback)

This book provided good insight into the Black Church in America. There was a considerable amount of historical data on the doctrine and practices of the churches and how the black denominations were formed in America. It also gave historical information on the formation of the White Christian churches in America. The writing certainly proved this book to be a doctoral thesis in the style and language of the book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Contribution, April 2, 2007

By 

Robert W. Kellemen "Doc. K." (Crown Point, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Black Church in America: African American Christian Spirtuality (Religious Life in America) (Hardcover)

"The Black Church in American" makes an important academic contribution to the study of African American Christian spirituality. Dr. Battle is well equipped to produce this concise spiritual history.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction.