An Introduction to Colonial African-American Evangelical Theology
Colonial Identities, Sense of Belonging, and Shared Space
- Theology
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Pickwick Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2025
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
Who were some of the early pioneers of colonial African-American Christianity? Were there specific doctrines that shaped colonial African-American evangelical theology? Did influential colonial African-American Christians prioritize their racial identity above and beyond their Christian identity? How did some African-American Christians construct their Blackness, sense of belonging, and existence within shared space with the human-Other? The genuine Christian faith of many colonial evangelical African Americans has been, for some time, systematically ignored, dismissed, and neglected. The darker aspect of this agenda, at least for some, is that when these colonial Christians are discussed, their existence is typically reinterpreted through contemporary Western racialized politics. The greatest protagonists of this sociopolitical drama have been various influential Black scholars within and outside the academy. This project serves as an introductory discourse into the theology and authentic faith of various colonial evangelical African Americans, who influenced the identity, sense of belonging, and conceptions of shared space for Christians within and outside the colonial Black church. The journey this book will take some through is within the conservative evangelical tradition of African-American Christianity.
Endorsements (3)
“A welcome study of this important topic, Dr. May’s exploration of colonial African-American evangelical theology provides a thoughtful and well-crafted voice to a foundational area of American Black Christian history while suggesting the essential roles that women, culture, and the ‘hidden’ God have played in its development.”
“This text is a compelling, must-read invitation to a different dialogue about race altogether, one that meaningfully draws upon the accounts of many colonial African-American Christians to demonstrate the transformative nature of an orthodox reading of Scripture and a transformed ethic and praxis of love through Christ Jesus. Noting the downfalls of racialized-binary reasoning, May points the reader to genuine expressions of Christianity in history that should inform our sense of identity, belonging, and shared spaces today.”
“This is a passionate book by a passionate theologian who is willing to challenge dominant trends in his field. Cory May endeavors to retrieve the voices and faith of African-American Christians as a resource for contemporary Christians in a way that avoids having these past witnesses controlled by the dominant agendas and rhetoric of the present moment. While historical retrievals are always the source of debate and controversy, any reader will be struck by Dr. May’s intense commitment to seeking out ways in which these voices from the African-American experience can nurture authentic Christian faith.”
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem