The Talking Book: African Americans and the BibleYale University Press, 2008 M10 1 - 295 pages A striking narrative of the Bible’s central role in African-American history from the early days of slavery to the present The Talking Book casts the Bible as the central character in a vivid portrait of black America, tracing the origins of African-American culture from slavery’s secluded forest prayer meetings to the bright lights and bold style of today’s hip-hop artists. The Bible has profoundly influenced African Americans throughout history. From a variety of perspectives this wide-ranging book is the first to explore the Bible’s role in the triumph of the black experience. Using the Bible as a foundation, African Americans shared religious beliefs, created their own music, and shaped the ultimate key to their freedom—literacy. Allen Callahan highlights the intersection of biblical images with African-American music, politics, religion, art, and literature. The author tells a moving story of a biblically informed African-American culture, identifying four major biblical images—Exile, Exodus, Ethiopia, and Emmanuel. He brings these themes to life in a unique African-American history that grows from the harsh experience of slavery into a rich culture that endures as one of the most important forces of twenty-first-century America. |
From inside the book
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... Fathers of the new nation were reaching the conclusion that the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness did not extend to slaves. African- Americans were taking texts of the Bible and reaching their own conclusions. The ...
... Father David Woods " read the New Testament one rainy evening , Dupree picked up Father Woods's Bible and , driven by sheer desire , began to read the first three chapters of the Gospel of John . “ 47 Shaker Eldress and visionary ...
... father's house are many mansions . ” Then , when encouraged to read more , she began to move up and down , swaying from side to side , shouting fashion , her beam- ing black face bent over the book , and half said , half chanted , “ I ...
... father , who could " count on paper and figure . " It was Denver's father who , through his command of letters , had man- aged to win freedom for himself and his mother , Grandma . Grandma is a powerful lay preacher with extraordinary ...
... father of Mary's baby (Jesus), again it charges Noah and Lot with drunken- ness, and Lot with getting children by his daughter. What a Poison Book. —Elijah Muhammad, Message to the Blackman in America IN NEW YORk CITY IN 1849, Frederick ...
Contents
1 | |
21 | |
41 | |
49 | |
5 Exodus | 83 |
6 Ethiopia | 138 |
7 Emmanuel | 185 |
Postscript | 240 |
Notes | 247 |
Subject Index | 275 |
Scripture Index | 284 |