Historical Analysis of the Development of Black Theology in American Religion

Curtis Johnson, Colby College

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to trace the theology of black Americans from the beggining in the United States down to the twentieth century. In order to understand In order to understand the Black Church in the United States, it is important to touch on its African past. After coming to America as slaves, black men modified their religious practices to some degree, but these practices remained deeply rooted in the African past.After the Civil War, black men changed their religious paractices very little. In the twentieth century, the Black Church has proven to be an institution with stamina and stability. The Black Church, now preaching theology of liberation, has been and still is the unifying force of the black community.