Anthropological analysis reveals how Christian denominations shaped Black American identity, suggesting ongoing cultural negotiations.
Key Points
The study reveals that Christian orthodoxy significantly shaped Black American identity during the First Great Migration, promoting cultural assimilation.
Historical discourse analysis of teachings shows how mainstream Christian denominations labeled African spiritual practices as 'hocus pocus' to reinforce social mobility.
Ethnographic fieldwork underscores the role of religious institutions in shaping cultural adaptation among Black Americans, impacting their spiritual negotiations.
This research indicates that the active distancing from indigenous practices was driven by a desire for respectability and integration into white social structures.