A History of African American Christianity, week 3

Richard Allen and the African Methodist Episcopal Church:

  1. The Emergence of Black Church Organization

  2. Richard Allen (1760-1831)

  3. A Methodist Movement - “plain doctrine and having a good discipline“

  4. But Methodism plus - “Allen, along with other black notables, could … use ‘his example of leadership through Christian principles to . . . develop a social theology with which to wage an activist war against oppression that legal and ecclesiastical authorities could not ignore.’“ Other leaders included Daniel Coker and Jarena Lee.

  5. The Bible as narrative, for its exemplars, orally communicated

Hist Af Am ChristianityJoel & Karin .