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
Results 1-5 of 33
... present with arms . Woolfolk testified , " I told them that I had heard in the days of old , when the Israelites were in the service of king Pharaoh , they were taken from him by the power of God , and were carried away by Moses . God ...
... present , black as well as white , joining in it . Then Heber's beautiful hymn , ' From Greenland's Icy Mountains , ' was sung ; the Negroes , to my ear , making much better music than the whites . " 33 Slaves were rarely introduced to ...
... present and have their church , after which the overseer would talk . . . . No one read the Bible . Sandy Jasper , Mr. Ashbie's coachman , was the preacher . He would go to the white Baptist church on Sunday with family and would be ...
... present , " he claims , " I have not been able to read any book , nor any reading whatever , but such as contain the word of God . " 46 African - American claims to miraculous literacy continued into the nineteenth century . George ...
... presents her dressed in a fig leaf, the hasty invention of wardrobe that she dons after eating the forbidden fruit. Edmondson's Eve boldly underscores her gen- erative powers with her upheld breast, an ancient West African gesture used ...
Contents
1 | |
21 | |
41 | |
49 | |
5 Exodus | 83 |
6 Ethiopia | 138 |
7 Emmanuel | 185 |
Postscript | 240 |
Notes | 247 |
Subject Index | 275 |
Scripture Index | 284 |