This course will survey the religious beliefs and practices of Americans of African descent over the past five centuries, from the mission to sub-Saharan Africa in the fifteenth century, through the periods of slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction, legal segregation, and urbanization, up to the civil rights movement, the Million Man March, and the womanist spirituality movement in more recent years. Along the way we will explore a number of topics, including the role of religion in the formation of personal and national identity; the political ramifications of Christian faith; gendered dimensions of black religious life; expressive aspects of black religious culture; and the tensions between denominational and extra-ecclesial piety. In addition to imparting some facts about African-American religious history, this course seeks to foster the critical skills that you as historians will use to analyze ideological expressions in the popular culture of the past as well as the present. To this end, we will concentrate our reading on a wide range of primary sources, including sermons, devotional works, autobiographical narratives, missionary tracts, newspapers, novels, music, and films. Requirements: full attendance and participation; brief weekly response papers, three short (3-5 pages) essays, and a take-home final exam. No prerequisites. Open to all classes. Enrollment limit: 30 (expected: 20).

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