Introduction: African-Americans and the Bible

1. Shawn Copeland explores the complex relationship between African-Americans and the Bible. This begins with African encounters with the Bible during European exploration and colonization, then shifts to how enslaved people in America reimagined the Bible as an oral and life-affirming text, and finally reflects on modern challenges in that legacy.

The Bible in Africa

Before slavery, African societies encountered the Bible through European merchants, missionaries, and colonizers. Although missionaries aimed to spread Christianity, their efforts were often tied to exploitation and domination. Europeans used the Bible to justify colonial power, presenting it as a divine order where white Christians were superior and Africans were inferior.

Middle Passage and Enslavement

Enslaved Africans endured horrific conditions during the Middle Passage—abuse, death, and trauma. Once in the Americas, they were scattered across plantations and settlements. Stripped of rights and viewed as property, they resisted dehumanization by holding onto and transforming their cultural and religious beliefs.

African Spiritual Traditions

Africans brought with them rich, oral religious traditions. Their religions were deeply integrated into daily life and emphasized the sacred in all things. Though they had no written scriptures, they passed down beliefs through stories, music, dance, and rituals. These traditions laid the groundwork for new religious expressions in the Americas.

Slavery and Christianity

Initially, slaveholders hesitated to allow enslaved people to convert to Christianity. Some later used it as a tool to control them, preaching messages of obedience. The Bible was distorted to justify slavery, teaching that Black people were divinely meant to serve whites.

Resistance and Reinterpretation

Despite being banned from reading, enslaved people found ways to learn about the Bible. They listened, memorized passages, and reshaped them into messages of hope and liberation. This gave birth to an African-American biblical tradition, an oral text formed by the community and used as a tool for survival and resistance.

Spiritual Practice in Secret

Many enslaved people prayed and worshipped in hidden gatherings called “hush arbors.” There, they blended African customs with Christian faith, using moaning, dancing, and Spirit possession. These secret meetings also served as places to plan escapes and revolts.

Biblical Abuse and Empowerment

The Bible was both a weapon and a refuge. It was used by slaveholders to control, especially women, yet African-Americans reinterpreted it to find strength and dignity. They developed their own theology, using it to challenge oppression and claim their humanity.

Legacy and Conclusion

The African-American biblical tradition lives on in spirituals, sermons, and the activism of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. Though the Bible has been misused, many still find deep faith, hope, and liberation within it. As theologian Dolores Williams notes, the Bible remains essential—even if one must dig through layers to find its liberating message.