| Description |
The late eighteen century found the American South in the midst of a revolution as evangelical Christianity rewrote Southern morality. The religion grew from a populist, minority movement to become the foundation of Southern life. Converting rich and poor, black and white, it changed forever the peculiar social structure of the slave-holding South. Slavery and evangelical Christianity were transformed by their confrontation; each adapted to accommodate the other. Whites developed a theology which both Christianized and justified slavery, while blacks developed a faith that sanctified their suffering and predicted liberation from "Egyptian" bondage. These changes on both sides brought a new dimension to the relationship between masters and bondsmen. Religion had the power to make the relationship more benevolent or more cruel. It might be used to strengthen the masters' authority or to subvert it. It could allay slaves' worldly woes or unite them to stand up against oppression. Although Christianity was adopted from white culture, it became a clarion call for race unity and group identity among black slaves. Religion found its way into emotional life, politics, ideas of race, and into cultural and individual identities. Among both blacks and whites there existed a myriad of opinions about slave religion, but all were aware of its powerful influence on the master-slave relationship. |
