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African American Christian Church

s "other" has facilitated their survival: "the God who would redeem them had to exist, in some sense, beyond the corrupting reach of oppressive structures" (57). The dominant idea of God in the black community has changed throughout history, responding to the perception of God's will for their liberation. The experience of God has never been abstract.

Chapter 4: This chapter explains the nature of African-American religion as Christ-centered. The hero tradition has always been strong in black culture. Thus it was easy for blacks to relate to messianic themes in the Bible: "Jesus lived and lives in the countless figural manifestations in African-American culture" (82). Jesus helps to bring God into the sphere of human existence.

In its christological focus, black theology has had to deal with conflict regarding the racial origins of Jesus. Europeans insist on a white Jesus, while many black scholars claim the existence of a black Messiah. Focusing on the spiritual dimensions of salvation, however, places Jesus above the fray of conflict over racial origin: "The true revolution of Christ was primarily moral and secondarily social, economic, and political" (87).

Chapter 5: The focus of this chapter is black identity. The question of being black is not separated from the question of what it means to be human: "The theme of the nature and destiny of humanity in African-American religious thought is, understandably, dominated by the issue of racism" (100). Because of their oppression, and identification with oppressed people of the Bible, blacks have often thought of themselves as a chosen people. Therefore, the concept of redemption has strong meaning for blacks. For blacks it has meant both personal freedom and living life in such a way as to glorify God, exemplified by Christ's ministry.

Chapter 6: This chapter looks at the institution of the black church. The African-American church developed because of...

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African American Christian Church. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 10:45, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1681345.html