Free at Last? : The Gospel in the African-American Experience

by Ellis, Carl F., Jr.

• ISBN13: 9780830816873
• ISBN10: 0830816879
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-02-01
• Publisher: Ivp Books

Summary

"Free at last!"It has been more than thirty years since Martin Luther King Jr. shouted those words to a crowd gathered in Washington, D.C. His speech, "I Have a Dream," is now familiar, even famous. But has his dream been realized?InFree at Last?Carl Ellis offers an in-depth assessment of the state of African-American freedom and dignity within American culture today. Updating and expanding his examination (previously published asBeyond Liberation) for a new generation of readers, Ellis stresses how important it is for African-Americans to know who they are and where they have been. So he begins by tracing the growth of Black consciousness from the days of slavery to the present, noting especially the contributions of King and Malcolm X. He also pays particular attention to traces of a "theological soul dynamic," an authentic manifestation of Christianity in Black culture, which runs through American history. It is this dynamic faith, says Ellis, that promises true freedom--the realization of King's dream--for African-Americans today.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Toward a Promised Land

A Primer

Picking Up the Pieces

""Oh, Freedom!""

""Reflecting Back""

Soul Dynamic

A Formative Phase

Two Streams

""De Lawd""

""A Shining Prince""

A Great Legacy

Roots and Fruits of Consciousness

A Little ""White"" Lie in the Name of Black Truth

""Busting Out""

""That Boy Sho' Can Preach!""

Cultural Seeding

Toward a New Agenda

New Vistas

The Fields Are Black unto Harvest

Glossary of People, Events and Terms

Notes

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