Black Literature and Religion

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Much has been written on the influence of religion in African American letters. A cursory glance shows how sermons, spirituals, conversion narratives and prayers fill the pages in African American literature, giving an ample amount of material for religious thinkers to sort through. What has gone missing, however, is rigorous research that shows how these writers were not only influenced by religious experiences but were also constructive and critical theologians in their own right. This course aims to present and evaluate the Black literary canon as creative theologians. This course will take classical African American texts—essays, novels and plays—and ask what theological categories are these specific writer-theologian working through? We will ask questions of pneumatology, ecclesiology, theodicy, soteriology and eschatology. We will examine the modernist tension between faith and reason, religion and gender/sexuality. The class is intentionally interdisciplinary: the required reading will be drawn primarily from a plethora of texts and no background in literature or theology is necessary; however, students must be open to learning how to do theological work with literary texts. Students will be encouraged to offer productive critiques and develop creative and imaginative theological arguments in ways literary figures hoped.