How has the church been influenced by African Americans?

Question

Well, I guess it started during slavery. I remember learning slaves used to sing religious songs as a code, but that's about all I remember. I don't even think that has much to do with shaping religion. Please help. Sources would be nice so I could be sure that you remember correctly, but anything would be appreciated.

Christianity may have been taught to the African slaves, but they made it their own. All peoples that had Christianity brought to them mixed the pros of it with the pros of their former religion, like the Anglo-Saxons.

Answer 1

~To which church do you refer? They probably have more influence on the Southern Baptists than on the Church of Latter Day Saints or the Mennonites.

Try reading the article by Joseph R. Washington, Jr. in the "Christian Century", (May 1, 1974) and develop the thesis from there.

As to the significance and purpose of the spirituals, both the religious ones and the rest, there are many excellent articles available for your reading pleasure and general edification. For the effort of a few keystrokes, they are yours for the asking. (Try "slavery and spirituals", for instance.)

Answer 2

African Americans have not influenced the church, we learned what we know from the slave masters,we learned the songs from them... The Africans that were brought to America had a diffrent form of worship. Christanity was taught to us.