Power from the Margins: The Story of Black Christianity in America

In this groundbreaking two-volume work, Walter R. Strickland II presents a theological-intellectual history of the African American church in the United States, highlighting the ways theology has formed and motivated Black Christianity across the centuries. Through his original research he has identified five theological anchors grounding African Americans in Christian orthodoxy:

  • Big God
  • Jesus
  • Conversion and walking in the Spirit
  • The Good Book
  • Deliverance

Here's what you'll get from the Swing Low Set:

  • In volume 1 you’ll receive a narrative history from the 1600s to present day.
  • In volume 2, the breadth of the historical developments identified in volume 1 are covered through primary-source documents, allowing readers to listen to Black Christianity in its own words.

Images of the table of contents

Praise for the Set

"In Swing Low, Strickland takes readers on a profound journey by combining historical narrative (volume one) with primary resources (volume two) to illuminate the triumphs, struggles, and theological developments that have shaped and continue to shape Black Christianity's enduring legacy in the United States. Throughout the entirety of these volumes, readers are invited to deeply explore how the Black church in America continues to navigate the challenges and opportunities of our contemporary world. They are simultaneously encouraged to envision a future where the Black church remains a catalyst for holistic liberation and spiritual renewal and continues to be a voice for justice, reconciliation, and communal transformation. This book is essential reading for pastors, theologians, and all who seek to understand the unique and profound contributions of the Black church in America and to honor its enduring legacy, learn from its theological insights, and join in the ongoing pursuit of liberation, healing, and reconciliation in our communities and beyond."

Bryan Carter, pastor of Concord Church in Dallas

"Walter Strickland's narrative of Black American Christianity provides a well-researched, carefully organized, and immensely informative history of an immensely important subject. The accompanying volume of well-chosen and well-introduced documents makes a valuable project even more useful. With its focus on Black Protestants, these books are landmarks for the exploration of the nation's past and its perennial struggles over race. Most of all they record a story that has been regularly neglected in accounts of American Christianity. It is the often unexpected, sometimes contentious, but enduring impact of the Christian gospel throughout African American history."

Mark Noll, author of America's Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794–1911, and C. S. Lewis in America


About the Author and General Editor


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  • Swing Low, volume 1: A History of Black Christianity in the United States, By Walter R. Strickland II
    paperback

    Swing Low, volume 1

    A History of Black Christianity in the United States

    Swing Low Set

    by Walter Robert Strickland

    The dynamic witness of the Black church is an essential part of Christian history. In this groundbreaking two-volume work, Walter R. Strickland II presents a theological-intellectual history of African American Christianity. Volume 1, a narrativehistory, explores five theological anchors of Black Christianity from the 1600s to the present.

  • Swing Low, volume 1: A History of Black Christianity in the United States, By Walter R. Strickland II
    casebound

    Swing Low, volume 1

    A History of Black Christianity in the United States

    Swing Low Set

    by Walter Robert Strickland

    The dynamic witness of the Black church is an essential part of Christian history. In this groundbreaking two-volume work, Walter R. Strickland II presents a theological-intellectual history of African American Christianity. Volume 1, a narrativehistory, explores five theological anchors of Black Christianity from the 1600s to the present.

  • Swing Low, volume 2: An Anthology of Black Christianity in the United States
    paperback

    Swing Low, volume 2

    An Anthology of Black Christianity in the United States

    Swing Low Set

    Associate Editor Justin Clark, Yana Conner, and Courtlandt Perkins
    General Editor Walter Robert Strickland

    The dynamic witness of the Black church is an essential part of Christian history. In this groundbreaking two-volume work, Walter R. Strickland II presents a theological-intellectual history of African American Christianity. Volume 2, an anthologyof historical primary sources, allows us to listen to Black Christianity in its own words.

  • Swing Low, volume 2: An Anthology of Black Christianity in the United States
    casebound

    Swing Low, volume 2

    An Anthology of Black Christianity in the United States

    Swing Low Set

    Associate Editor Justin Clark, Yana Conner, and Courtlandt Perkins
    General Editor Walter Robert Strickland

    The dynamic witness of the Black church is an essential part of Christian history. In this groundbreaking two-volume work, Walter R. Strickland II presents a theological-intellectual history of African American Christianity. Volume 2, an anthologyof historical primary sources, allows us to listen to Black Christianity in its own words.