The Black Church Book Summary - The Black Church Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

The Black Church summary

Name: The Black Church
Rating: 4.3 (59 reviews)
Author: Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Henry Louis Gates Jr.

This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song

4.3 (59 ratings)

29 mins

Table of Contents

The Black Church
summarized in 8 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Learn how the Black church shaped African American history.

Here’s something interesting: even though more and more Americans are stepping away from organized religion, many African Americans still describe religion as a crucial part of their lives. In fact, surveys indicate that about 80 percent of African Americans consider religion important to them. This is surprising at first, but when we consider how much the Black church has contributed to the African American community in the last four centuries, the reasons become clear.

These blinks chronicle how the Black church grew from strictly controlled religious practices to an institution that’s shaped and influenced the social and political lives of African American people.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

how enslaved people adapted Christianity;
why speaking in tongues was controversial; and
what gospel singers did for the civil rights movement.

Missionaries in the 17th century taught a version of Christianity that justified the enslavement of Black people.

When Anglican missionaries arrived in New World colonies such as South Carolina in the 1670s, they had a clear goal: to introduce Christianity to the multitudes of enslaved Black people on plantations.

But this wasn’t going to be an easy task. The masters of the enslaved resisted the idea because they felt Christianity was reserved for white people. They were also afraid that introducing the religion would encourage notions of equality, and, eventually, rebellion. And they needed the enslaved to believe they were less than human, to keep them submissive.

So, to accomplish their goal of converting Black people, missionaries tailored their message to appease the masters.

The key message here is: Missionaries in the 17th century taught a version of Christianity that justified the enslavement of Black people.

To ensure that enslaved people remained docile, the missionaries taught that freedom was a matter of race, not of religion. This implied that Black people were meant to be enslaved, and white people were supposed to be their masters. The missionaries highlighted messages from the Bible that encouraged submissiveness, such as, “Servants, obey your earthly masters.” And stories of social equality or rebellions were intentionally left out.

A number of laws also restricted how, where, and when enslaved people could worship and practice Christianity. These laws made it illegal for enslaved people to read and write – preventing them from reading the Bible themselves. And they also prohibited gatherings of Black people if there were no white person present. This made sure that no rebellious ideas were shared.

But the laws didn’t completely suppress religious expression amongst enslaved people. They found ways to worship in secret, establishing what became known as the invisible institution. This consisted of church services held at night in cabins or anywhere hidden from the masters. In these services, Black people also shared messages from the Bible that were kept away from them.

Not only did the enslaved practice Christianity away from their masters, they also made it their own. They did this by incorporating elements of tradition and religion brought with them from Africa. Drumming and a circular dance called the ring shout, for example, became part of how Black people worshipped.

The First and Second Great Awakenings democratized religion and led to the founding of Black denominations.

The 1730s and 40s saw a religious revival sweep across North America – it was known as the First Great Awakening. Methodists and Baptists of all races gathered to worship through ecstatic dancing, shouting, and preaching.

These revivals resonated with Black people, who saw similarities with African religious practices. They also allowed free and enslaved Black people to publicly worship, and even give testimonies. As a result, masses of Black people converted to Christianity.

The Pentecostal church had its beginnings in southern revivals and the Holiness movement.

Religious revivals continued well after the Great Awakenings. And not only did they encourage Black people to join existing denominations, they also inspired a new religious movement. The late 1800s saw the rise of the Holiness movement through revivals in the south. One of the defining characteristics of this movement was baptism by the holy spirit, which included speaking in tongues.

W.E.B Du Bois, the African American sociologist, historian, and author, famously wrote about witnessing speaking in tongues. He described it as “The Frenzy of ‘Shouting,’ when the Spirit of the Lord passed by, and, seizing the devotee, made him mad with supernatural joy.”

Black churches and their leaders were instrumental in the run-up to emancipation, and in the years after.

The churches established by Black people were more than houses of worship. From the early, hidden gatherings, to the brick-and-mortar churches built by free Black people, these religious spaces also served as political centers for their congregants.

The church was so central that, in August of 1862, President Abraham Lincoln invited five Black religious leaders to discuss an emancipation plan that would see Black people deported from America. For the clergymen and their congregations, this was out of the question. America was their home, and they’d contributed enormously to building it.

Black people entering political spaces prompted violent reactions.

Less than a decade after the Emancipation Proclamation, another door opened for Black Americans. The Fifteenth Amendment, signed in 1870, gave Black men voting rights. This event created a new purpose for the Black church.

Church buildings hosted political debates and meetings, and congregations were encouraged to vote. The result? Around 2000 Black men were voted into public office, and almost 250 were church ministers. One of them was Richard Harvey Cain, who, in 1872, became the first Black clergyman elected to the House of Representatives.

Gospel music evolved from spirituals, influenced secular music, and contributed to political movements.

We’ve learned how enslaved Black people adopted Christianity and added elements of African practices. One of the most prominent examples of this fusion is the music of the Black church.

During enslavement, Black people created spirituals – songs that combined Christian hymns, aspects of African music, and stories of their suffering and hopes for freedom. Black people sang spirituals whilst working or praying, and key features included repetition, call-and-response, and musical notes inspired by African sounds. These spirituals were the foundations for gospel music.

After the civil rights movement, the Black Church contended with new ideologies and internal tensions.

The end of the 1960s marked a new chapter for the Black Church. The civil rights movement, led largely by the church, had put an end to segregation, outlawed discrimination, and helped ensure Black people’s right to vote.

But despite the success of the movement and the non-violent approach it advocated for, young people were increasingly gravitating towards militant organizations, like the Black Panther Party.

In 2020 and beyond, the Black church continues to provide much-needed support to the Black community.

With the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus, the year 2020 brought unprecedented challenges for the world at large.

In the United States, the pandemic highlighted deep flaws in the public health system that disproportionately affected people of color. For instance, the rate and severity of infections were higher in people of color, and the death rate amongst Black people was twice that of their white counterparts. The response from the government left a lot to be desired. And, like they have done many times before, Black churches stepped in to fill the gaps.

Want to see all full key ideas from The Black Church?

Key ideas in The Black Church

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is The Black Church about?

The Black Church (2021) tells the story of Christianity in the Black community, from the conversion of enslaved people in the 1600s to the founding of Black denominations and today’s COVID-19 pandemic. The book highlights how the Black church evolved over centuries, and the various social and political roles it has played.

Best quote from The Black Church

The newly freed, holding deeply felt religious convictions, were especially eager to learn to read the word of God.

—Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Who should read The Black Church?

People interested in the culture and history of African American people
Those curious about religious history
Anyone interested in sociology

About the Author

Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a historian, literary critic, and filmmaker. He’s written over 20 books, including In Search of Our Roots, Faces of America, and The Trials of Phillis Wheatley. His filmography includes The African Americans, for which he earned an Emmy Award, a Peabody Award, and an NAACP Image Award. Gates is also the Director of the Hutchins Center for African American Research at Harvard University.

Categories with The Black Church

History Religion & Spirituality Society & Culture

Books like The Black Church

Letter to the American Church

Eric Metaxas

A Call for Christians and Church Leaders to Learn From the Past

15 min

3.9

Four Hundred Souls

Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

A COMMUNITY HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICA, 1619–2019

The Astounding Way a Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life

18 min

4.5

It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism

Bernie Sanders

What it Would Take to Change the Status Quo That Enriches Billionaires and Holds the Working Class Down

12 min

4.0

The Souls of Black Folk

W.E.B. Du Bois

An account of the conditions of African Americans after the end of slavery

How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything

The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising that Changed America

How Religion Poisons Everything

A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field

What the Rich Teach Their Kids about Money – That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!

An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

An Alternative View of the Feminist Struggle for Liberation

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks

Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine

Insights at the Intersection of Biology and Buddhism

18 min

4.2

I Will Teach You To Be Rich

Ramit Sethi

The easy approach to smart banking, saving, spending and investing

Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You

Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes

The Science behind Atheism

Rebel in an Age of Upheaval

Recognize and Resist the Three Enemies That Sabotage Your Peace

23 min

2.8

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

Beverly Daniel Tatum

And Other Conversations About Race

26 min

4.5

Bedtime Biography: Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela

The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

A Surprising Economic History of the World

16 min

4.2

From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

The fight against racism in modern America

18 min

3.9

Bedtime Biography: Margaret Thatcher

Women, Sex, Power, and How to Stop Letting the System Screw Us All

How to Accept Your Fears, Release the Past, and Live Your Courageous Life

21 min

4.3

Bedtime Biography: The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King

King's journey to becoming the leading figure in the American civil rights movement

Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary

One Man’s Escape from North Korea

How the Christian Revolution Remade the World

30 min

4.4

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman

Intuition or deliberation? Where you can (and can't) trust your brain

28 min

4.5

Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World

Iddo Landau

An exploration of the many ways life can be meaningful

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do

Amy Morin

Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success

How Europe Went To War in 1914

You Have More Time Than You Think

The Universe Has Your Back

Gabrielle Bernstein

Transform Fear to Faith

Timeless reflections in defense of Christianity

The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts and Fake News

The New Science of Human Relationships

How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time

Belief In An Age Of Skepticism

Advice from the Chairman of the Board

18 min

4.6

Manufacturing Consent

Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky

The Political Economy of the Mass Media

The Autobiography Of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King

King's journey to becoming the leading figure in the American civil rights movement

33 min

4.7

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.