Christianity in the Midst of Slavery
analytical Essay
1282 words
Christianity in the context of American slavery took on many faces and characteristics. As a religion, it was used as a tool of manipulation for slave masters to further justify the institution, and particularly assert authority over their slaves. In the slave community, Christianity was adapted in the slave community as a means to shape an identity and create a sense of dignity for an oppressed people. Christianity in the context of the slave community was a means to uplift and encourage the slaves, a way in which to advance the interests of slave-holders, and in some cases, a means used to justify freedom.
The black slaves in general held to a different form Christianity that was unbeknownst to traditional orthodox Christianity. As discussed in lecture on February 4, 2014, black slaves held to an interpretation of Christianity that placed emphasis on the Old Testament, and all of its hero’s and accomplishments. The slaves also reinterpreted Jesus Christ, figuring Him into the Old Testament context of an Old Testament King like King David, who achieved many victories upon this earth (Lecture 2/4/14). Due to the perversion of Christian teachings from slave master and their erroneous catechisms, the slaves reacted strongly against the New Testament and its teachings. In turn, the slaves would cling to the Old Testament, particularly due to the role that the Jews suffered in the midst of their captivity to the Egyptians in ancient times. (Covered in the Bible under the Old Testament books of Genesis and Exodus) The reality of God coming to the aid of His chosen people the Jews was a theme that encouraged and comforted the slaves, and they gladly adopted this similar idea of being God’s “chosen people.” Also, the slaves held to Old ...
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...es while on the plantation, on the fields and other common areas, exhibiting the Christian worldview in action. Rose William is curious case, she was a woman born into slavery, and gave her account of her time in slavery. She loved her family, and was almost sold away from them, until her father took the initiative and asked his master, Mr. Hawkins, to purchase his daughter. He was a slave breeder, and purchased her to her and her family’s delight. Mr. Hawkins would eventually force Rose Williams to breed children with a man that she loathed name Rufus. She would go on after the summation of the Civil War to leave Rufus and return with her parents until their passing. She worked as a cook for whites until she went blind.
Works Cited
Blassingame, John W. The Slave Community Plantation Life in the Antebellum South. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979. Print
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how christianity in the context of american slavery took on many faces and characteristics. it was used as a tool of manipulation for slave masters to further justify the institution, and assert authority over their slaves.
- Explains that black slaves held to a different form of christianity that was unbeknownst to traditional orthodox christianity. the perversion of christian teachings from slave master and their erroneous catechisms encouraged and comforted them.
- Analyzes how christianity was used as a meaningful and helpful outlet to reaffirm the humanity of slaves.
- Explains that christianity would be a principal influence in conquering the fear of slaves, for their overseers and masters.
- Explains that christian worship allowed for the slaves to feel engaged in community interaction, and this fit perfectly in the context of slave society.
- Explains that religious services and recreational activities provided the slave with welcome rest from anxious toils, and hope for the better life.
- Analyzes how the slaves created and signed hymns and spirituals, based on biblical lore, to express themselves in a hostile environment.
- Explains that slaves would have to gather in secret places in order to worship, due to the desire of certain masters/ overseers wanting to keep them from worshipping.
- Recounts how katherine and her maw and paw took them to another place to pray and sing. they sang lord i give myself away, tis all that i can do, and they nailed him to the cross.
- Analyzes how mary reynolds was born to a slave mother and free black father. she was nursed alongside her master's daughter (sarah), was sexually abused by him, and was brought back to her family and plantation home.
- Explains that religious hymns and spirituals reflected the reality that there was no separation from the religious and the secular in the slave community.
- Explains that many of the slaves had no formal christian education, but still talked in regard to god and used references to him in their daily language.
- Analyzes how rose williams was a woman born into slavery and gave her account of her time in slavery. she loved her family and was almost sold away until her father asked mr. hawkins to purchase her.
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- Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglassanalytical essayFrederick Douglass presents an astonishing representation of the issues towards Christianity and religion. According to the narrator of the novel, there are two forms of Christianity that are represented in the text. There are both "true" and "false" versions of religion.In a slaves perspective, Christianity is considered to be their saving grace. Choosing to believe in God is their only reason to wake up in the morning and suffer through the exhausting list of chores they have to accomplish throughout the day. Participating in religious activities of worship gives them confidence that one day, God will save them from the cruelty they have endured for so long. Frederick Douglass admits to practicing of what is the "true" version of religion and the whites who openly oppose slavery. On the other hand, slave masters or remaining whites have flipped the purpose of Christianity and molded it into hypocrisy where it has become a bastardization of the true ideals behind genuine Christian thoughts. The reader gets the gist of the story that slavery and true Christianity are oppos...
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- Analyzes how frederick douglass' novel, narrative of the life, expresses his theory on the most unfortunate era for all african americans in america, known as slavery, and uses his life experiences to benefit the demolishing of slavery practices.
- Analyzes how frederick douglass presents an astonishing representation of the issues towards christianity and religion.
- Analyzes how douglass' newfound method of education led to freethinking, leading to revolts, and the possibility of leading in the collapse of the economy.
- Analyzes how the fear of antislavery became a true concept when fredrick douglas began to outsmart the people around him and gained an education that would later earn him his freedom.
- Analyzes how education has benefited the whites and african-americans who were fortunate enough to sneak their education. frederick douglass was one of the few to figure out the education was an essential key to freedom.
- Analyzes how douglass learned that the irish fought for freedom just like slaves wanted to fight for theirs. the moral which he gained from the dialogue was the power of truth over the conscience of even a slaveholder.
- Analyzes how frederick douglass views all human beings as equal but also states that individuals have to mold themselves in who they want to be.
- Analyzes how captain thomas auld became a "pious" man after not feeding slaves enough and enforcing harsh labor, revealing the underlying hypocrisy of the slaveholding south.
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1832 wordsRead More - Frederick Douglass: Christianity's Justification For Slaveryanalytical essayIn his narrative, Frederick Douglass shows how Christianity was used as a major justification for slavery and for the actions of slave masters, but he also shows how the religion provided hope for slaves themselves. In an appendix added at the end of the narrative, he draws a distinction between “the Christianity of this land” and “the Christianity of Christ,” saying that there is the “widest possible difference” between them. As he puts it, “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land.” In other words, Douglass thinks that Christianity has been corrupted in America, where people hypocritically use it to justify their injustices.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how frederick douglass' narrative shows how christianity was used as a major justification for slavery and for the actions of slave masters, but also provided hope for slaves themselves.
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544 wordsRead More - Religious and Spiritual Practices of Enslaved African Americansanalytical essayThe Community of Enslaved Africans and their Religious & Spiritual Practices. During a most dark and dismal time in our nations history, we find that the Africans who endured horrible circumstances during slavery, found ways of peace and hope in their religious beliefs. During slavery, Africans where able to survive unbearable conditions by focusing on their spirituality. Christianity was amongst the slave community.
In this essay, the author
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- Explains how slaves converted to christianity, and how they were able to sing and pray in their own gatherings.
- Explains that voodoo was a combination of catholicism with various west african traditions. negro spirituals were an important factor to enduring slavery.
- Explains that before christianity, africans had their own sense of spirituality and religion.
- Explains that the spirituals were communal songs performed in a call-response pattern reminiscent of west african traditional religions. slaves used the characters of the bible, particularly the old testament, to tell their stories.
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- Analyzes how spirituals anchored the enslaved persons to a reality that allowed them to transcend the harsh limits of slavery.
- Explains that african americans have taken their own spiritual, religious journey, using religion and spirituality as a way of overcoming the mental anguish of slavery.
1736 wordsRead More - Slavery: Religious Justification and Abolitionanalytical essayWhat role did religion play in the justification and abolition discourses that emerged in the nineteenth century in both the Antebellum South and the Ottoman Empire?
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- Explains that religion played an important role in the discourse used to justify and challenge slavery in both the ottoman empire and the antebellum south.
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- Explains that there were obvious divisions between different denominational churches on the question of slavery and abolition. methodist and baptist churches took opposite stances on slavery.
- Analyzes how both northern and southern states used the bible as a weapon in their argument for why slavery was justified or not.
- Explains that the ottoman empire was established with the ulema as the guardian of the society.
- Analyzes how amal ghazall argues that the muslim world in the nineteenth and early twentieth century was undergoing many transformations, including modernization.
- Explains how the qur'an was later employed using different versus or authentic to the context to make anti-slavery arguments.
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- Describes the works of bertram wyatt-brown, lewis tappan, and john b. boles, eds. masters and slaves in the house of the lord.
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- Cites harriet jacobs' incidents in the life of a slave girl and james brewer stewart's holy warriors.
- Describes the books of bernard lewis, maurice j. bric, william mullligan, and newbell n. puckett, the magic and folk beliefs of the southern negro.
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1358 wordsRead More - Religion's Influence on the Slavery Debatesexplanatory essaySlavery was a dominant part of the political and social arenas of 1800’s America. However, it was not homogenous as it divided America into two distinct groups: those who supported it and those who did not. Traditionally, the states in the north had been anti-slavery while the states in the south had been pro-slavery. Southern life and economy depended on slavery and therefore staunchly supported the continued legal status of slavery. The northern states on the other hand recognized the inhumane nature of slavery and campaigned to establish equality for all citizens. In order to establish solid reasoning for their stance, both pro-slave and anti-slave groups turned to theological inspiration for their actions. The Bible inspired both pro-slavery advocates and anti-slavery abolitionists alike. Religion was used in order to justify slavery and also to condemn it.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that slavery was a dominant part of the political and social arenas of 1800’s america, but it was not homogenous as it divided america into two distinct groups.
- Explains that senator steward, an anti-slavery supporter, viewed all of man as equals. this equality came from the "higher law" that is the bible.
- Explains that abolitionists understood that each man represented one of god's creations and that men were part of his plan. if slavery was allowed to exist, then man was interrupting god’s desire and plan for his creation.
- Opines that there is a higher law than the constitution, which regulates over authority over the domain, and devotes it to the same noble purposes.
- Explains that according to abolitionists, god endowed man with equality and common heritage. this equality granted by god overrides the law established by the united states government.
- Explains that steward and all abolitionists were dismayed that supposedly christian and good nation that hinges its existence on the claim that all men are created equal, and they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, would allow some to live in bondage and squalor that is slavery.
- Explains that the abolitionists believed that without every citizen being treated as god's natural equals then unnatural order and chaos would occur.
- Argues that the south, contradictorily to the north, believed the future of the nation depended on slavery. pro-slavery southerners balked at the northerners claim that slavery was a sin.
- Explains thomas dew's argument that holding slaves was not a sin as long as it was done with generosity and without malicious intent. pro-slavery supporters argued that modern slavery was exponentially more cruel than ancient slavery.
- Explains that southerners believed they were upholding a long-held tradition of master and slave as put forth by god. since god had allowed his followers to keep and hold slaves for all of biblical history, modern history could not have been any different.
- Explains that slavery used religion to keep african americans subordinate. pro-slavery advocates argued that christianity appeals to slaves because it fosters hope to both the slave and the master.
- Explains that both supporters of slavery and those who wished to abolish slavery turned to god as their justification. the christian equality of the north won over the hard-nosed old testament south.
1362 wordsRead More - Frederick Douglass: The Psychological Approaches Used to Maintain the Institution of Slaveryanalytical essaySlave-owners forced a perverse form of Christianity, one that condoned slavery, upon slaves. According to this false Christianity the enslavement of “black Africans is justified because they are the descendants of Ham, one of Noah's sons; in one Biblical story, Noah cursed Ham's descendants to be slaves” (Tolson 272). Slavery was further validated by the numerous examples of it within the bible. It was reasoned that these examples were confirmation that God condoned slavery. Douglass’s master...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how douglass discusses the deplorable conditions in which he and his fellow slaves suffered from while on colonel lloyd’s plantation.
- Analyzes how slave owners forced a perverse form of christianity, one that condoned slavery, upon slaves. douglass's master, captain thomas auld, epitomizes the christian southern slaveholder.
- Analyzes how douglass describes a great deal of violence committed by slaveholders.
- Analyzes how douglass' paranoia and lack of trust among slaves is reinforced by the cutting of family ties. slaves from different plantations would argue over whose master was better.
- Explains that slaves' powerlessness causes them to depend on their masters for food, clothing, and shelter. this dependence on them was integral to the preservation of the master's power and the sustaining of slave society.
- Analyzes how slaves were encouraged to drink whisky during christmas and new year's holidays to ensure they remained dependent.
- Analyzes how douglass realized the true meaning of freedom when he started learning to read. his mistress, sofia auld, taught him the a, b, and c's.
- Analyzes how the disillusioned slave recognized that the success of the institution of slavery is based on the slave's illiteracy. slaveholders were adamant about withholding any knowledge from slaves.
- Analyzes how douglass unveiled every kink in the well-oiled machine known as slavery. he revealed the false christianity of the south, the nonsensical dependence of slaves upon their masters, and the lack of understanding of freedom.
- Cites gale encyclopedia of american law, donna batten's 3rd ed. vol. 13, detroit, 2011. the slave experience: living conditions.
- Cites tolson, claudette l., "white supremacy." encyclopedia of race and racism.
1326 wordsRead More - Slavery During the 1800sanalytical essayIn their quarters, slaves expressed themselves with some what more freedom from white slave owners. Religion provided a feel of similar freedom and also gave slaves mental support. By attending church, slaves created a Christianity that emphasized salvation for every race, including slaves.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that slavery in the eighteenth century was worst for african americans. observers of slaves suggested that slave characteristics like clumsiness, untidiness, littleness, destructiveness and inability to learn the white people were better.
- Explains that slaves expressed themselves with some freedom from white slave owners, while religion provided a feel of similar freedom and gave them mental support.
- Explains that slaves tried to work at their own pace and resist speedups to avoid overwork. they knew that permanent escape was unlikely unless they lived near free territory.
- Explains how slaves refused to accept punishment and battled with their white masters who were trying to give punishment. slave resistance was rarely successful because most master would not tolerate it.
- Analyzes how slaves' masters tried to erase african culture from their slave's memories. they insisted that slavery had rescued blacks from africa and introduced them to the "superior" white civilization.
- Explains the main goal of resistance from slaves was to survive and insure the most decent life possible.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the incongruity of slavery and christianity in harriet a. jacob's incidents in the life of a slave girl, written by herself.
- Analyzes how thomas jefferson, a white, christian, political southern slave owner, wrote these words in 1776. the declaration of independence contradicts himself when he states that all men are created equal, while his slaves were denied all that humans were meant to cherish.
- Analyzes how slave owners accepted and rationalized slavery through the holy bible. the bible mentions slavery on numerous occasions, but none of these passages condemn it.
- Analyzes how the bible contradicts other verses when discussing slavery and the treatment of slaves. ephesians 6:5-9 instructs masters to "give unto your servants that which is just and equal."
- Analyzes how jacobs discusses the role that religion played in a slave's life. the tenth commandment in exodus 20:10 says to "remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
- Analyzes how southern women knew of slave women's treatment from their husbands, which caused a great amount of jealousy toward their spouses.
- Analyzes how jacobs reveals to her audience that christianity was not to enlighten slaves, but rather to maintain the social system of slavery.
- Analyzes how the slaves were dissatisfied with reverend pike's sermons, and began attending church again when a new reverend arrived in town.
- Analyzes how jacobs believes that slaves are closer to god than the slave owners.
- Analyzes how the statutes of christianity contrasted with the actions of the typical southern slave owner. slavery was a cruel, perverse institution that no human should ever endure.
1695 wordsRead More - Frederick Douglass Narrative And Christianity Analysisanalytical essayIn Frederick Douglass’ Narrative, Christianity is a prominent feature of both slave and slave-owners’ lives. However, Douglass highlights the discrepancies between the religions of these two groups, finding the Christianity of slave holders to be false, malicious and hypocritical. Though he makes clear he is not irreligious himself, Douglass condemns the insincere ideology of slave owning America.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how frederick douglass' narrative highlights the discrepancies between the religions of slaves and slave-owners, and condemns the insincere ideology of slavery in america.
- Analyzes how douglass makes the distinction between the true and false forms of christianity clear in the appendix of his narrative.
- Analyzes how douglass, who holds devout christian views, is not condemning religion in general. he believes that christianity of the land and christ are entirely opposite.
- Explains that true christianity consists of word from the bible, an inherent sense of right and wrong, and recognition of good deeds and moral behavior. the ideals of christianity strictly oppose the practice of slavery, making the slave-owners’ claims of devout faithfulness flawed.
535 wordsRead More - Assess The Contribution Of Christianity To Sacrificeanalytical essayI do agree with Brendan Ferris it is “It is crazy to imagine that someone would even want to hold another human being as a slave and treat them as if they were something else”. But at the time these people were indeed seen as ‘something else’. They were seen as “a set of poor, ignorant, dispersed, unsociable people”. Moreover, there was the economic benefit that could be gained from them through trading and working them till death for no wage. Lastly Christians did believe it was there duty to civilise these cultures and bring Christianity to them, as we discussed in the workshops in week 7. It can be argued that these reasons led to the slave trade becoming so large, even to the point of involving native Africans. However, Ottobah Cugoano
In this essay, the author
- Agrees with brendan ferris that it is crazy to imagine that someone would even want to hold another human being as a slave and treat them as something else. christians believed it was their duty to civilise these cultures and bring christianity to them.
- Analyzes how ottobah cugoano shed light on the trauma that an african underwent beginning with his capture and transportation to england.
208 wordsRead More