Black Religion and Black Radicalism: An Interpretation of the Religious History of Afro-American People

I bought this book for my African American Religion class It is a wonderful overview of how we put together a religion that is uniquely our own

Wilmore's work, now in its third edition, is a standard in the treatment of African American religious history. His detailed study proposes that Black history equals religion and Black religion equals the struggle for freedom. From the personal testimony of Black religious leaders and from the "common" African American man and woman, the freedom emphasis is upon escape from sin to find personal salvation of their soul--eternal life in Jesus Christ. Once spiritual deliverance was found, a boldness then also grew to find freedom from the sin of others, from White oppression and enslavement. True, for some African Americans freedom from the sins of others did take priority. But for the majority, freedom from their own sin was the preeminent concern. For most, it was a both/and, not an either/or. Wilmore's work remains an important contribution, especially in terms of understanding the yearning for freedom present in the lives of African American slaves. Reviewer: Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.

Wilmore's book is a standard, and fairly thorough, introduction to the connection between African American religiosity (writ large) and African American societal protest. Tracing the connection from African religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and traditional religions) through slavery and supposed freedom to the present day, Wilmore presents a sweeping argument that throughout history African Americans have used their religious understandings to strengthen their resistance to oppressive realities. This should be a standard text for any class on African American history, and would be an informative read for Black History month.