Session 1

 Africana Studies Paradigm - Objectives and Scope

1. Aims

1. to shed light on the histories, religions, languages, and cultures of the peoples of Africa and the African Diaspora from antiquity to the present

2. to highlight the distinctive achievements of African and Afrodiasporan peoples within the context of the larger human experience

3. to look closely at the complex relationship between Africa and various global diasporan communities and its impact on the shaping of identity and the generation of ideas

2. Focus  -  Africa and multiple Diasporas

3. Historical Scope - from antiquity to the present

4. Breadth - interdisciplinary, holistic, and integrative

5. Methodology - full range of critical tools derived from the Humanities, Fine Arts, Social Sciences, Pure Sciences, and Theological Disciplines

1. Spirituality - “the quality or condition of being spiritual; attachment to or regard for things of the spirit as opposed to material or worldly interests” (1856)

2. Faith - “Belief, trust, confidence” (563)

3. Religion - “Action or conduct indicating a belief in, reverence for, and desire to please, a divine ruling power; the exercise or practice of rites or observances implying this” (1552)

Spirituality - A Personal Definition (H. R. Page, Jr.)

The lived implications of a worlview that acknowledges the reality, pervasiveness, and importance of the numinous - broadly understood - within the cosmos; a way of life structured in a manner consistent with one's understanding of the numinous

Africana Spirituality

1. Constitutes the full range of religious practices created by peoples of Africa and the African Diaspora from antiquity to the present

2. Embraces Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Daoism, and indigenous faith traditions in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean

3. Is diverse and heterogeneous

4. Is dynamic and evolving

Historical Challenges*

1. Dealing with the legacy of slavery

2. Addressing prolonged and continuing social marginalization

3. Engaging a diverse array of religious ideas, ideologies, and social realities - fostering dialogue

4. Maintaining relevance

5. Promoting theological inclusivity

Factors Impacting Africana Life in the Americas and Individual/Communal Responses

1. POLITICAL DISENFRANCHISEMENT - Resignation, Resistance, or Compromise

2. SOCIAL MARGINALIZATION - Segregation, Limited Engagement, or Assimilation

3. LIMITED RELIGIOUS FREEDOM - Rejection of Religious Mainstream, Conversion to/Embrace of Religious Mainstream, or Development of Alternative Diasporan Spiritualities

Early Africana Spiritualities in the New World

1. African Indigenous Religions

2. Islam

3. Christianity

4. Afrodiasporan Pneumatic Practices (APPs)

Questions - Part 1

1. What does the story of the failed insurrection led by Denmark Vesey reveal about social, political, and religious life in South Carolina?

2. In what ways did Christianity serve as a constructive and destabilizing presence in the Black community during the 18th century?

3. In what ways does religious faith serve as a sustaining and liberating force in the lives of Ibrahima Abdul Rahman and Sojourner Truth?

*The timeline in Philip Koslow's (ed.) African American Desk Reference (New York: John WIley and Sons, 1999): 2-24, provides an excellent summary of pivotal events in Africana history, particularly in the Americas and the Atlantic World.