DOC In Her Words: Women's Writings in the History of Christian Thought by From Brand: Abingdon Press in History

Description

In the recent past; enormous creative energy has gone into the study of American slavery; with major explorations of the extent to which African culture affected the culture of black Americans and with an almost totally new assessment of slave culture as Afro-American. Accompanying this new awareness of the African values brought into America; however; is an automatic assumption that white traditions influenced black ones. In this view; although the institution of slaver is seen as important; blacks are not generally treated as actors nor is their "divergent culture" seen as having had a wide-ranging effect on whites. Historians working in this area generally assume two social systems in America; one black and one white; and cultural divergence between slaves and masters.It is the thesis of this book that blacks; Africans; and Afro-Americans; deeply influenced white's perceptions; values; and identity; and that although two world views existed; there was a deep symbiotic relatedness that must be explored if we are to understand either or both of them. This exploration raises many questions and suggests many possibilities and probabilities; but it also establishes how thoroughly whites and blacks intermixed within the system of slavery and how extensive was the resulting cultural interaction.