Thread by @blackrepublican

The Black American Church vs. Eurocentric Christianity

A church birthed fourth out of the wildfires of slavery and #whitesupremacy becomes one of the oldest institutions opposed to racism in the world: #TheBlackChurch

#BlackChurchesMatter

Coming...

"Satan, Were Gonna' Tear Your Kingdom Down"

"If it has come about that today The Black Christ; has to be led into the field against The White Christ; by a young black poet, than a deep cleft in the church of Jesus Christ is indicated."

-- #DietrichBonhoeffer

#Blackconservative
#BlackChristianity

"We believe in the God of Ethiopia. The everlasting God. God the Father. God the Son. God the Holy Spirit. The One God of all ages, that is who we believe in but we shall worship him through the spectacles of Ethiopia."

- Marcus Garvey

"So throughout the colonies it is reported in 1678 that masters, "out of
covetousness," are refusing to allow their slaves to be baptized."

--- W. E. B. Du Bois

“The Preacher is the most unique personality developed by the Negro on American soil. A leader, a politician, an orator, a "boss," an intriguer, an idealist...”

W. E. B. DuBois, 1903, The Souls of Black Folk

In the Beginning...

The Black Gods of Africa

“African spirituality simply acknowledges that beliefs and practices inform every facet of human life, and therefore African religion cannot be separated from the everyday or mundane.”

— Dr. Jacob Olupona

“Traditional African belief is overwhelmingly monotheistic. There may be spirits floating around, but there's only one God. Early missionaries made a complete pig's ear of their research in this respect.“

(GodChecker.com)

godchecker.com/pantheon/afric…

A History of the African Goddess Oshun

#Oshun (known as Ochún or Oxúm in Latin America) also spelled Ọṣun, is an orisha, a spirit, a deity, or a goddess that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Ifá and Yoruba religions.

Before #Islam and #Christianity: Religious Practices in Africa

“Traditional African religions are a set of highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions. Generally, oral rather than scriptural, it includes the belief in a supreme creator.”

#Odinani

“Odinani comprises the traditional religious practices and cultural beliefs of the Igbo people of southern Nigeria. Odinani has monotheistic and panentheistic attributes, having a single God as the source of all things.”

What are African religions? African Religions: A Very Short Introduction

The book answers this question by examining primarily indigenous religious traditions on the African continent,as well as exploring Christianity and Islam.

amazon.com/African-Religi…

Professor Olupona is Professor of African Religious Traditions and Chair of the Committee on African studies at the Harvard Divinity School with a joint appointment as Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard.

news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/…

World Christianity: An Agenda for the 21st Century | Dr. Jacob K. Olupona

Orishas?

“These are highly important beings of an esteemed nature. ORISHAS are not quite gods — think of them as a spirit cocktail with a slice of saint and a tiny dash of divinity for flavor.”

“In African religion, monotheism and polytheism exist side by side.”

m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-role-of-…

Santeria: The African roots of #Cuba 🇨🇺

“Probably the most explicit reference to the African soul is to be found in #Santeria, which represents the synthesis of the cults of African slaves and the Catholic religion.”

lahabana.com/content/santer…

The Orisha of Wisdom

“#Orunmila is the great benefactor, the Orisha of wisdom, knowledge and divination, worshiped mainly in Nigeria, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States. Son of Orokó & Alayerú.”

beudeeful.com/orisha-orunmil…

ooduarere.com/news-from-nige…

“The orishas are the emissaries of Olodumare or God almighty. They rule over the forces of nature and the endeavors of humanity. ... The orishas are often best understood by observing the forces of nature they rule over.”

cs.indiana.edu/~port/teach/20…

#Shango is the deity, #orisha whose power is imaged by thunder and lightning. As the legendary fourth king of the ancient kingdom of Oyo, Shango's rule was marked by capricious use of power.