Fortress Introduction to Black Church History (Fortress Introductions)

A concise and accessible history A brief history of black Christian churches in the United States has long been needed. Larger sociological and historical studies have enhanced the picture of the historically black denominations. At the same time black-church members need a handy introduction to their own religious homes as do college students of American history and religion. This volume co-authored by a black minister and a black theologian provides an overview of the shape and history of major black religious bodies: Methodist Baptist and Pentecostal. It introduces the denominations and their demographics before relating their historical development - from the eighteenth century to the end of the Civil Rights Movement - into the groups we know today. A final chapter sketches the state of the black Christian church bodies today and their ongoing contributions to a more just American society. The Pinns book will help a new generation of black Americans assess its religious legacy and the larger society to gauge its social import.