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A review by josiahdegraaf
The Decline of African American Theology: From Biblical Faith to Cultural Captivity by Thabiti M. Anyabwile
3.0
Interesting look at an area of historical theological development that I can't say I have much experience in. As a result, I'm not sure how much I can make helpful commentary on this book. I will say, though, that I was unsure of the author's decision to focus on a pretty selective group of African-American theologians. On the one hand, it helped me understand specific theologians a lot better--and I especially appreciated this with the colonial-era theologians he was quoting.
On the other hand, when it comes down to proving the author's thesis (that African-American theology has become less conservative and more liberal over time), I was left with questions. It's clear that the authors Anyabwile focuses on show this progression. But I simply don't know enough about African-American religious history to know how representative the big-name theologians were in comparison to the average African-American Christian. I would have liked to see more about that. The reader more experienced in African-American religious history may not need that to know whether such claims are true or not, but as a less-experienced history student in this regard, I would have benefited from that.
Whether Anyabwile musters enough evidence to prove his thesis, however, I certainly appreciated the in-depth look at various African-American theologians over the years and what they taught, and I found those analyses to be quite helpful.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Good).
On the other hand, when it comes down to proving the author's thesis (that African-American theology has become less conservative and more liberal over time), I was left with questions. It's clear that the authors Anyabwile focuses on show this progression. But I simply don't know enough about African-American religious history to know how representative the big-name theologians were in comparison to the average African-American Christian. I would have liked to see more about that. The reader more experienced in African-American religious history may not need that to know whether such claims are true or not, but as a less-experienced history student in this regard, I would have benefited from that.
Whether Anyabwile musters enough evidence to prove his thesis, however, I certainly appreciated the in-depth look at various African-American theologians over the years and what they taught, and I found those analyses to be quite helpful.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Good).