This course, from an evangelical perspective, introduces students to the religious and cultural backgrounds of Black (African-American) experience, focusing on the influences of African heritage, Christianity, and the legacy of systemic oppression as a foundation for theological thinking. The course presents Black theology theologically, engaging both its rich spiritual heritage and contemporary challenges. It equips students to articulate an evangelical theology that faithfully represents God's redemptive design in and through Black communities, introducing classical, modern, and contemporary evangelical theological methods in Black theology and key trends in Black evangelical thought today.
By taking this course, students develop the ability to craft evangelical theological discourses informed by Black religious and cultural backgrounds and contemporary realities. This enables them to resist theological approaches that overlook the historical and social dimensions of the Black experience. With discourses rooted in these backgrounds, students can identify effective evangelical responses to Black community contexts and gain initial skills to produce impactful, gospel-centered actions for today’s Black communities.
This course is essential because evangelical theological thinking grounded in the Black experience offers a pathway for deeper, positive, and lasting gospel impact in Black communities. It addresses the shortcomings of past theologizing that often ignored the unique religious and cultural dynamics of Black life, striving to proclaim the truth of Christ in dialogue with Black experiences while remaining faithful to evangelical convictions.
Rooted in an evangelical perspective, the course introduces students to the religious backgrounds of Black communities while highlighting the authority of Scripture and potential connections to African and African-American influences in biblical narratives. It emphasizes Scripture’s use of history, culture, and present realities to proclaim God’s truth, grounding the course in a biblical framework. The aim is to reveal God’s redemptive work through the gospel, engaging Black contributions and contexts.
By focusing on Black peoples and their experiences, this course fulfills the evangelical missional purpose of advancing the Great Commission within Black communities. It equips students to understand and participate in God’s redemptive mission through the proclamation of the gospel in Black contexts.
The course is deeply engaged with the particularities of Black (African-American) experiences, especially the influences of African heritage, Christianity, and systemic challenges. It emphasizes evangelical theological conversations that respect Black cultural and religious diversity while articulating the uniqueness of Christ. Students explore theological thinking in non-Black evangelical contexts, distinguishing these from Black evangelical approaches.
From a Black evangelical perspective, students gain insights into how culture and history shape theological thinking and recognize the importance of engaging Black religious traditions in theological dialogue. They learn that understanding cultural and historical contexts is vital for effective gospel communication. Positive and negative examples of evangelical engagement with Black experiences will help students assess the role of culture and history in theology.
The course aims to equip students to address Black religious and social issues with evangelical theological clarity, enabling them to respond effectively to challenges posed by historical and ongoing systemic issues within Black communities. Students develop competency in crafting gospel-centered responses to contemporary Black contexts.
Students are guided to reflect on past, present, and future (simulated) Black experiences through an evangelical lens. Those in ministry select one theological topic, such as engaging a specific aspect of Black religious or cultural experience, and experiment with applying evangelical principles to a Black context or life experience.
