Slave Religion

Albert Raboteau's Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South explores the black church as a center of social significance in African-American life. Raboteau (iv) contends that few studies have been done and even fewer books written on the black church, which represented in African-American life "An agency of social control, a source of economic cooperation, an arena for political activity, a sponsor of education, and a refuge in a hostile white world." The black church, then, was originally an institution that was imposed upon black slaves but one they were able to in turn use to their own advantage. This was true in terms of a gathering place to read, a socializing place without fear of abuse with other blacks, and the ability to speak among themselves and form political ideas and opinions. This is not to say that all black slaves willingly let themselves be converted to Christianity by their oppressors.

Raboteau argues that most writers on black culture and history have largely ignored the significance of the black church because they believe little documentation exists that reveals any kind of detailed or insightful glimpse into the functions that the black church actually served for slaves and freed blacks. He argues they are wrong and contends that much documentation does exist, but Raboteau uses slave narratives, black autobiographies, and black folklore in order to reformulate the experiences of Americ

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, and then the devil, in the end, would have had you!' The negro laughed, looked down, shook his head�and at length exclaimed, again looking up with an expression of humor and inventive acuteness, �Now Massa, look'ee here! The Gospel is now being preached over the whole of Africa, and if I had remained there, what was to hinder me from being one who heard it as well there as here?'" Raboteau contends that black slaves from Africa practiced many rituals and spiritual rites that encompassed a transcendent and benevolent God, but also a belief in numerous other gods to whom proper sacrifices were made. Polytheistic practices were as much the norm as any monotheistic practices. The author also demonstrates how the rites and rituals from African beliefs were integrated with the Christian ideology blacks were subjected to in America. Though they may have been forced into a new country, forced into bondage, deprived of any rights, abused, and force-fed Christianity, the slaves were able to somehow integrate some of their native religious practices into the new religion of Christianity. For example, many African blacks felt they were inhabited by one of the gods from above or that they were possessed by them. Raboteau argues tha

Category: Literature - S