Hard-Fighting Soldiers : A History of African American Churches of Christ / Edward J. Robinson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robinson, Edward J., 1933- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

African American churches.

African American churches--History.

Church history.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (238 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Knoxville, Tennessee : University of Tennessee Press, [2021]

Summary:

In the first full-length scholarly synthesis of the African American Churches of Christ, Edward J. Robinson provides a comprehensive look at the church's improbable development against a backdrop of African American oppression. The journey begins with a lesser known preacher, F. F. Carson, in many ways a forerunner in the struggles and triumphs awaiting the preachers and lay people in the congregations to come. Robinson then builds on scholarship treating well-known figures, including Marshall Keeble and G. P. Bowser, to present a wide-ranging history of African American Churches of Christ from their beginnings-when enslaved people embraced the nascent Stone-Campbell Christian Movement even though founder Alexander Campbell himself favored slavery. The author moves on to examine how the churches grew under the leadership of S. R. Cassius, even as Jim Crow restrictions put extreme pressure on organizations of any kind among African Americans. Robinson's well-researched narrative treats not only the black male leaders of the church, but also women leaders, such as Annie C. Tuggle, as well as notable activities of the church, including music, education, and global evangelism, thus painting a complete picture of African American Churches of Christ. Through scholarship and compelling storytelling, Robinson tells the two-hundred-year tale of how "black believers survived and thrived on the discarded 'scraps' of America, forging their own identity, fashioning their own lofty ecclesiology and 'hard' theology, and creating their own papers, lectureships, liturgy, and congregations." A groundbreaking exploration by a seasoned scholar in American religion, Hard-Fighting Soldiers is sure to become the standard text for anyone researching the African American Churches of Christ.

Contents:

Intro

Illustrations

Acknowledgments

A Chronology of African American Churches of Christ

Prologue

The Pilgrimage of F. F. Carson, Spiritual Warrior

Part ONE

From Slavery to Freedom

Enslaved Africans and the Stone-­Campbell Movement, 1816-1899

1

Brothers in Black

Enslaved Africans in the Stone-­Campbell Movement

2

Mother Churches

The Emergence of African American Churches of Christ

3

Founding Fathers

Pathfinders in African American Churches of Christ

Part two

African American Churches of Christ and the "Race Problem" in America, 1900-1930

4

"Making Love to Our Daughters"

The Racial Thought of White Churches of Christ

5

"In a Class by Himself"

S. R. Cassius and the "Race Problem" in Churches of Christ

Part three

The Age of Marshall Keeble, 1931-1968

6

Setting the House on Fire

Marshall Keeble and the "Hard" Theology of African American Churches of Christ

7

Warhorses

G. P. Bowser, the "Big Four," and the Structuring of African American Churches of Christ

8

"Nonviolent Gadflies"

African American Churches of Christ and the Quest for Civil Rights

Part 4

Finding Their Own Way, 1969-2008

9

Making Something Out of Nothing

Annie C. Tuggle, Thelma M. Holt, and the Women's Movement in African American Churches of Christ

10

"I'm Coming Up Lord"

The Hymnody of African American Churches of Christ

11

"The Magic of Education"

African American Churches of Christ and the Pursuit of Knowledge

12

Brothers in Arms

African American Churches of Christ in the Global Experience

EpilogueFrom the Outhouse to the White House

The Paradox of Black Churches of Christ During the Obama Presidency

Bibliography

Notes.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9781621904922

162190492X

9781621904915

1621904911

OCLC:

1402029222