Slave Religion
The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South

This is something of a classic in the literature on the slave church. It started out as a doctoral thesis, but unlike some books that have that provenance, this one really engages. Sure, there is an incredible amount of detail - and a huge number of footnotes, reflecting Raboteau's careful research......more

A classic. When it first came out, James Cone said this: "Slave Religion is the best volume on the subject, and no seminary or university library should be without it. There is little doubt that it will become the standard work on the religion of Black slaves in the U.S." This book originated out of......more

Though it’s not an easy read, this is a great resource, full of primary sources that provide a heart-breaking and challenging confrontation of oppressive white Christianity while also shedding light on some of the most encouraging and beautiful expressions of Christianity I’ve ever heard of in Ameri......more

While providing an excellent overview of the religious practices of American slaves, I thought the author repeated himself a lot. I would have liked more emphasis on the folk religion of Africa and more details on how those elements were adapted into slave religion. I did find the general descriptio......more

I found this a very interesting read although dense in some places. Especially useful are the copious quotes from slaves, former slaves, and free blacks.......more