nimh wrote:Ron Sommerville, associate professor of the History of Global Christianity at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, chooses a more indirect way to explain what would have attracted Obama to this church, and to staying at it throughout the years, despite the occasional rant from the pulpit.
In a letter to the Indianapolis Star, he argues that in order to understand how that worked, we need to understand something about the nature of African-American churches in general. Hence the excursion into history first:
Quote: Black church nurtured Obama's vision
April 3, 2008
<snip>
The reality that the color line has followed us into the 21st century and that religious institutions in the United States are largely organized according to race and ethnicity is a difficult pill for some to accept. [..] One consequence of this now preferential racial segregation is our virtual ignorance of each other's religious histories, beliefs and practices [..].
Obama's speech seeks to demystify this glaring ignorance of the African-American Christian tradition in general, and the particular African-American congregation and pastor that nurtured and guided him spiritually, morally, theologically and politically. The earliest roots of these churches can be traced back to the biracial churches of the enslavement era, where enslaved and freed persons were forced to worship with white Christians. Their protests against racial dehumanization and segregation eventually led to the formation of separate African-American churches in both the North and South in the 1700s.
These churches -- mostly Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian -- formed the nucleus of African-American family, cultural, social, economic and political life in the post-emancipation era. Their preachers were respected for their charismatic leadership, biblical knowledge, oratorical ability and moral authority. Perhaps most importantly, they were expected to preach a gospel of liberation and hope that assured their listeners that they too were created in the image of God. As the leaders of their churches and communities many of these preachers became the first elected officials during the Reconstruction era. Like Obama three generations later, the majority of these African-American politicians honed their political and oratorical skills in socially conscious and politically active churches.
This prophetic black church tradition sustained the fight against the de jure and de facto segregation of the Jim Crow years and later formed the basis of the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. and other black clergy. Like their enslaved and emancipated forebears these progressive clergy tapped into a tradition of social gospel preaching that, like the eighth-century Hebrew prophets, angrily denounced the sins of injustice and discrimination.
It is important to see Jeremiah Wright as a exemplary product of this black prophetic tradition, who in 36 years of ministry at Trinity UCC in Chicago was instrumental in transforming a struggling congregation of 12 families into an inner-city mega-church of 8,000 plus. From his appointment as pastor in 1972, Wright was committed to moving the congregation from it middle-class insularity to an empowering and liberating Christian presence in the community. Through his preaching and teaching, Wright challenged congregants not only share the gospel but to address political, social, and economic problems that plagued the community. [A commenter to this article added, "In UCC when you join you have to commit to volunteer-this church has done fantastic outreach in the community" - nimh]
We can possibly see how a young law school grad interested in community development might be attracted to a church like Trinity -- "a church that embodies that black community in its entirety -- the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the gang-banger." Part of this appeal was also Wright's pastoral ministry and spiritual mentorship; "He strengthened my faith, officiated at my wedding and baptized my children," said Obama. Hence we need to look beyond the sound bites of Wright's withering "jeremiads" to see the totality of the man, his ministry and message. Though flawed like the rest of us, he was a conduit for personal and social transformation.
It is absurd to imagine that a self-reflective and independent-minded leader as Sen. Obama would agree totally with every tenet of his former pastor's black liberation theology or his Afrocentric vision, especially when it conflicts with his own hopeful vision to form a more perfect union. I am grateful that Obama's vision was also nurtured in the womb of an African-American church.
I totally agree with what is said here. Please go to:
http://www.nbccongress.org/black-catholics/default.asp?linkref=footer
and find out that there are over 200 million Catholics of African descent, throughout the world, but in the US, Protestantism, is the predominant religion of African-Americans. In order for me to learn this, I was taking an advanced English Course in college and everything I thought I knew about my race, was corrected, in the course of this 1 semester course! I was absolutely floored about religion brought with the slaves and how slaves were forced to practice Christianity, as well as the American Indians, who were already here. Americas' indigenous people. That said:
Jeremiah Wright, does NOT begin to speak for Christians of African descent and should be careful who he claims to speak for! To clump us all with him, is in itself an abomination! We are multi-cultural, multi-faceted and have adapted to the environment of the areas, to which we find ourselves a part of, whether it be the North, South, East or Western Regions of this country, so I have no idea, what this particular man of color, is talking about! I am very upset that he would clump us all with him, as though we are in Hitler-like, lockstep! I myself, was born and raised in New Orleans, speak French, cook Creole, as opposed to Cajun, whatever that is, but have lived in the East for over 37 years!
My entire family, was/is Roman Catholic, all 7 generations of us. I am of the 5th generation, from slavery. Most of my people were never slaves but a few were! I can't imagine myself, being anything other than Roman Catholic, as Jews maintain their faith! I wonder what country I really am living in, due to all of the racial rhetoric churned up by the emergence of a quiet, educated, mixed-race young man, who seems to not have the baggage that so many politicians have! It's a shame, because we might have gone somewhere forward for a change instead of showing our TRUE colors!
