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Was Christianity a Means of Deafricanization and Social Control of Slaves?

Author: 
Year:
Pages:188
ISBN:0-7734-3955-2
978-0-7734-3955-9
Price:$159.95

Nominated for the Gilder Lehrman Center Frederick Douglas Book Prize
A comparative study on the impact of Christianity on both free and enslaved blacks in Africa and the United States. Adefila, focuses on the efforts of Christian missionaries and slave owners to de-Africanize and control the West African slaves and non-slaves with Christianity. Rather than examining how Africans acculturated or appropriated parts of Christianity, Adefila challenges the ‘closed system thesis,’ which stipulates that slavery was a totalitarian cultural institution and instead emphasizes the Africans’ responses to the use of Christianity as a means of control.

Reviews

“… a profoundly useful contribution.” – Prof. Rupe Simms North Park University

“… a master job of weaving together historical documents.” – Prof. Charles C. Jackson Augusta State University

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

LIST OF TABLES

PREFACE by Rupe Simms

INTRODUCTION

THE WEST AFRICAN BACKGROUND

CHRISTIANITY AND RELIGIOUS ACCULTURATION IN WEST AFRICA

AFRICANISMS IN SLAVE RELIGION: THE ROLE OF THE “CONJURE-MAN”

CHRISTIAN EVANGELIZATION AND THE SLAVES’ RESPONSE

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

NAME INDEX

SUBJECT INDEX