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 16
... live in terms of images which represent the fundamental conceptions embodied in their rituals and myths. In the absence of adequate images they live in terms of such compelling images (and hence rituals and myths) as are abroad at the ...
... live,” hay, ̇ she is the Fathoming the relations between divinity and humanity, and focus- ing on the latter with the deity as ambivalent foil, was the predilection of African- American folklore. As a Southern African- American preacher ...
... lives in all Godliness and honesty . ” 18 Proslavery apologists often referred to Paul's Epistle to Philemon , traditionally understood as a letter attending the return of a runaway slave , as a biblical sanction for slavery : indeed ...
... lives are embittered to us . . . By our deplorable situation we are rendered incapable of shewing our obedience to Al ... Live in love let brotherly Love contuner [continue] and abound Beare ye one anothers Bordens How can the master be ...
... live . How come ? I ast . Cause that's the one that's in the white folks ' white bible . Shug ! I say . God wrote the bible , white folks had nothing to do with it . How come he look just like them , then ? she say . Only big- ger ? And ...
Contents
1 | |
21 | |
41 | |
49 | |
5 Exodus | 83 |
6 Ethiopia | 138 |
7 Emmanuel | 185 |
Postscript | 240 |
Notes | 247 |
Subject Index | 275 |
Scripture Index | 284 |