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Pius' "Outline of Baptist History" online

Discussion in '2000-02 Archive' started by rlvaughn, Nov 24, 2002.

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  1. rlvaughn

    rlvaughn Well-Known Member
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    Some of you may be interested in this. The University of North Carolina's Documenting the American South project has put online An Outline of Baptist History: A Splendid Reference Work for Busy Workers: A Record of the Struggles and Triumphs of Baptist Pioneers and Builders by N. H Pius. This book was published by the National Baptist Publishing Board, Nashville, TN, in 1911. Anyone interested in African-American Baptists, the National Baptist Convention, etc. should take a look.

    [ November 24, 2002, 09:07 PM: Message edited by: rlvaughn ]
     
    #1 rlvaughn, Nov 24, 2002
  2. tyndale1946

    tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
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    Brother Robert I know that the African American is now of various religions to many to mention but is it not a fact that most of their ancestors were of the Baptist belief? What attracted them to the Baptist belief or did slaves attend where the owners attended?... Or did they have their own churches?... Why is it when I think of a black persons belief I always come up Baptist?... Brother Glen :confused:
     
    #2 tyndale1946, Nov 25, 2002
  3. Jeff Weaver

    Jeff Weaver New Member

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    Bro. Glen.

    I'm not Robert, but I'll give it a stab.

    I wouldn't say that most ancestors of present day African Americans were Baptists. Most attended the churches of their masters, no matter what that denomination was. There are a good many African-Americans who were and are members of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (CME); African Methodist Episcopal (AME) and African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME-Zion) Churches and their schismatic children of various pentecostal/holiness varieties.

    Now, what attracted so many African-Americans to various branches of Baptists. One word -- education. In the days immediately prior and after the American Civil War, educational oppotunities for African-Americans in the South were slim and none. Since Baptists never made a formal education a test of a man's ability to preach, many illiterate or nearly illiterate African American men in this time frame (1850-1900) were accepted as Baptists.

    About this same time, many/most antebellum Baptist Churches which were integrated, set up separate churches for their African-American members. I feel sure that this set up was comfortable to many/most African-Americans of the time. This no doubt attracted African Americans who had previously attended their masters Presbyterian, Episcopal, etc churches.

    Now, some of this is based on my own historical research, some on educated guesses. I did my master's thesis on political divisions in the Baptist Church as a result of the American Civil War. And Bro. Glen, so there is no misunderstanding, I was a history major, not a religion major or theology student.

    I would welcome comment from those who might have other opinion or information on the subject.

    Jeff
     
    #3 Jeff Weaver, Nov 25, 2002
  4. rlvaughn

    rlvaughn Well-Known Member
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    Brother Glen, I'm afraid I can't answer your questions with much depth, because of a lack of knowledge in this area. I do know that the majority of Christian blacks in the south are Baptists. I also know that slaves attended worship services with their masters (and were received members of Baptist churches upon relation of a credible profession of faith). I have recently purchased off ebay Trabelin' On: The Slave Journey to an Afro-Baptist Faith by Mechal Sobel. This book, I believe, will answer some of these kinds of questions, but I must confess to having not yet read it! Here's a quote (pp.79,81) to whet your appetite:
     
    #4 rlvaughn, Nov 25, 2002
  5. tyndale1946

    tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
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    #5 tyndale1946, Nov 25, 2002
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