This course will focus on the reading of primary documents in the African American religious tradition in the 19th and early 20th Century.  The texts reflects a sampling of writing that reflect what Vincent Harding has called in his book, There is a River, the radical stream within the African American religious tradition, there have been ebbs and tides of this tradition.  Lectures, readings, presentations and discussions will focus on various topics including: the rise of independent black Protestant churches; gender relationships within African-American religion; the relationship of religion and culture; nationalism vs integration; race relations in American church life; and religion and politics in black American churches.

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