The Divided Mind of the Black Church, Raphael G. Warnock
The Divided Mind of the Black Church, Raphael G. Warnock
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The Divided Mind of the Black Church
Theology, Piety, and Public Witness

Author: Raphael G. Warnock

Narrator: Terrence Kidd

Unabridged: 8 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/23/2021


Synopsis

What is the true nature and mission of the church? Is its proper Christian purpose to save souls, or to transform the social order? This question is especially fraught when the church is one built by an enslaved people and formed, from its beginning, at the center of an oppressed community's fight for personhood and freedom. Such is the central tension in the identity and mission of the black church in the United States.

For decades the black church and black theology have held each other at arm's length. Black theology has emphasized the role of Christian faith in addressing racism and other forms of oppression, arguing that Jesus urged his disciples to seek the freedom of all peoples. Meanwhile, the black church, even when focused on social concerns, has often emphasized personal piety rather than social protest. With the rising influence of white evangelicalism, biblical fundamentalism, and the prosperity gospel, the divide has become even more pronounced.

In The Divided Mind of the Black Church, Raphael G. Warnock, Senior Pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., traces the historical significance of the rise and development of black theology as an important conversation partner for the black church.

About Raphael G. Warnock

Raphael G. Warnock is a United States Senator for Georgia. He previously served as Senior Pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church (Atlanta, Georgia).


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kevin on December 08, 2021

The title may sell the book short. This is a book about the black church, but it is a fine meditation on the meaning of Christianity, the role of the cross in any church, the role of a church in any society. It's a book about black theology, but its scope is not narrow and it is not just about race.......more

Goodreads review by Simon on May 14, 2023

Raphael Warnock legt ein ganz besonderes Buch vor. Er beschäftigt sich nicht nur mit der Black Theology oder der Black Church, sondern mit beidem. Er untersucht in dieser Dissertation das Verhältnis zwischen beiden Strömungen. Greifen schwarze Pastoren/Pastorinnen die Entwürfe von schwarzen Systemat......more

Goodreads review by Jens on January 31, 2022

A great read after Esau McCaulley's 'Reading While Black' and Reggie L. Williams' 'Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus'. They each in their own way were addressing a tension not only in the black church but within Christianity as a whole. It's been very illuminating to read and learn about this tension with re......more

Goodreads review by Adam on December 13, 2023

Summary: A theological history of the Black church and its relationship to liberation theology.  If Raphael Warnock had not been my Senator, I am not sure I would have picked up The Divided Mind of the Black Church. I am interested in the history and theology of the black church, but there is also a......more

Goodreads review by Delwyn on January 05, 2025

Theological tail wagging the theological dog He writes well in defense of a theology that has a flaw. Salvation in the Scriptures is NOT rooted in the exodus of Israel out of Egypt. It is rooted in the disobedience to the command “Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” the embra......more