African American Christian Church in the Past and Today

Bc. Gabriela Gažová

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Práca sa zaoberá históriou africkoamerických kresťanských cirkví, konkrétne dôvodmi, ktoré viedli k založeniu týchto cirkví v tradícii africkoamerického kresťanstva, akú úlohu a funkciu mali v minulosti a dnes v africkoamerickej komunite v USA. Hoci prešlo takmer tristo rokov odkedy boli založené prvé africkoamerické cirkvi, naďalej zotrvávajú ako oddelené denominácie v rámci americkej spoločnosti a ešte stále sú niektorými rozoznávané ako zvláštna odnož kresťanstva a kresťanských cirkví. Ak do úvahy zoberieme skutočnosť, že boli založené ako reakcia na otroctvo ako most medzi utláčaním na ceste k slobode vo forme socializácie a seba-vyjadrenia, je zaujímavé, že rovnaké dôvody pre zakladanie africkoamerických cirkví nachádzame aj dnes. Cieľom tejto práce je dokázať, že africkoamerické kresťanské cirkvi sú dnes zakladané z rovnakých dôvodov ako boli zakladané počas otroctva, napriek tomu, že inštitúcia otroctva v Spojených štátoch amerických bola zrušená v roku 1865.

Abstract:

The thesis discusses the history of African American Christian church, concretely what were the reasons leading to establishment of the churches within this tradition and what role they had in the past as well as what roles and functions they have today in the community of African Americans in the USA. It has been almost three hundred years since the first African American Christian fellowships were established, however, they still remain as separate denominations within the American society today and still are recognized by some as a special branch of Christianity and Christian churches. If taken into consideration that they were established as a reaction to slavery as a bridge from oppression to freedom in terms of socializing and expressing oneself, it is interesting to observe the reason because of which the African American Christian Fellowships are still being established even today. The aim of this thesis is to prove that the African American Christian Fellowships are being established today because of the same reason as they were being established in the slavery period, even though the institution of slavery in the United States of America was abolished in the 1865.

Keywords

African American, church, Christianity, black, religion

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 27. 1. 2009

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 29. 1. 2009
• Supervisor: B.A. Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Philology / English Language and Literature