Twenty-five years after its original publication,
Slave Religion remains a classic in the study of African American history and religion in the
antebellum South. In a new chapter in this anniversary edition, author Albert J. Raboteau reflects upon the origins of the book, the reactions to it over the past twenty-five years, and how he would write it differently today. Using a variety of first and second-hand sources-- some objective, some personal, all riveting-- Raboteau analyzes the transformation of the
African religions into evangelical Christianity. He presents the narratives of the slaves themselves, as well as missionary reports, travel accounts, folklore, black autobiographies, and the journals of white observers to describe the day-to-day religious life in the slave communities.
Slave Religion is a must-read for anyone wanting a full picture of this "invisible institution."
Click for the original review.
Background Information
The South "ante bellum," that is "before the war," was a place of great prosperity and grandeur, along with great suffering for the slaves working in the fields. Religion brought some of the first English colonists to the New World and religious variety has been a national hallmark.
