African American Themes

Criticism of Christianity ??nations ideals vs. its practices ??slave owner Christianity vs. real Christianity Prophetic Tradition ??to speak truth to power ??this is what will happen to you if you don?t stop oppressing God?s people Jeremiad (written & oral) ??sermons of despair deploring the signs of waning faith ??prediction of calamity but gives element of hope ??named for biblical prophet Jeremiah (predicts the fall of the kingdom of Judah because they broke their covenant with the Lord) ??predicting the fall of an institution/nation based upon their wrong actions ??prolonged lamentation or complaint ??crisis = the norm in the Jeremiad Walker p.162-165 ??hypocritical vs. true Christianity (claims true Christianity for black people)