REL 17.01 Introduction to African American Religion

This course explores the religious lives, practices, and thought of African-descended peoples in North America from the colonial era through the present, with a particular focus on how religion shaped—and was shaped by—experiences of enslavement, colonization, migration, and struggle for justice. Using a combination of primary sources (sermons, spirituals, letters, autobiographies, and legal documents) and key scholarly works, students will examine African cosmologies, the transatlantic slave trade, the “invisible institution,” the rise of independent Black churches, prophetic and reform movements, Black liberation theologies, African American Islam, and contemporary spiritual activism. By the end of the course, students will understand the enduring role of religion in shaping African American cultural, social, and political life, and the ways it has informed broader struggles for freedom, justice, and belonging in the United States.

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Religion