Shop

The Nation of Islam also contributed to the civil rights movement by encouraging Black pride, self-help, and economic autonomy among African Americans. Throughout the civil rights era, the Nation of Islam’s theology and methods aligned very little with mainstream civil rights organizations, but, as one recent account argued, Black Muslims will forever be remembered for ‘how they promised Black dignity.’ The practical theology of self-respect, rigorous discipline, and racial uplift taught by the Nation of Islam’s leaders supplied the grounding sought by many Black Muslims to engage an apartheid America.

This is the period of African American church ministry that, from its inception, elaborates on the ministry of the whole person that addresses the sociological situation or lived experience of God’s people. The African American church has always responded to these realities from its theological and institutional heritage by providing spiritual nurture, life-giving direction, and support during systemic and social injustice. This book aims to lay out the nature and scope of the church’s involvement with this threefold agenda and illustrate its ongoing efficacy as a place, a presence of hope, and a joyful future of justice.