Black Biblical Studies, Afrocentric Theology - Part I
Permit me to introduce myself as being a disciple of Jesus The Christ and a member of the body of believers called the followers of The Way (Jesus The Christ).
Ibecame interested in the subject, before I was made aware of the discipline.
Before it was introduced and being described according to the subject of this writing.
In the early 1990x, about '01 or '02, I stumbled into a little bookstore in South Mpls.
Although the store know longer exist, at the time I found two small paperback books written by Black Baptist ministers.
The 1st book "Beyond Roots", by Rev.
William Dwight McKissic, Sr.
dealt with the 'Search of Blacks in the Bible'.
The 2nd book "What Color Is Jesus", by Rev.
William Mosley, dealt with 'When and why did Europeans change the image? And What effect has a White image of The Christ had On Black people around the world"? After reading these two small paperbacks, I felt like I had been culturally freedfrom the slavery of psychological bondage.
I want to read more more, I practically lost interest in reading anything but similar writing on the topic of Black Biblical Studies.
Well there were no other books available for sale, nor could I find anything related in the Public Library in Hennepin County.
I was desperate to find more writing.
Not being an avid reader, it didn't occur to me to check thebibliography until some time later.
And low and behold, I found dozens of reference books authored by African American Theologians.
Well, even though I had been raised in the Black Baptist Church, I don't ever recall the mention of Black Theologians and certainly not Black Theologians authoring books dealing with Theology.
Born again was always a statement that referred to new believers in Jesus Christ, but for the 1st time I experienced a new since of being born again, through the introduction of those two paperbacks thathad only 70 pages in each book.
Of course I couldn't find not one of the 40 to 50 books, authored by Black Bible scholars and Theologians.
Fortunately, I had recently purchased my 1st computer.
The entire world was opened to my research of this field known according to the subject title of this writing.
I begin to locate Seminaries located throughout the U.
S.
A.
both small and large colleges and universities where these Bible scholars and historians of the subject had been employed or were presently employed.
I started writing and e-mailing these individuals and low and behold, I was referred to Blackowned bookstores and publishing companies around the country.
What a revelation to behold.
I begin writing everyone that I could, to ask for additional books dealing with the subject title.
It was so encouraging that I decided to apply to the Secretary of the State of Minnesota to register my new company name.
I called my new company name: "The Presence of Africans in the Bible Book Center.
" I didn't say bookstore, because I only planned to purchase a couple books by each author, sothat I could get the wholesale discount of roughly 30%.
I felt like a kid with twenty dollars going into a candy shoppe.
I bought so many books that I had to remove furniture from my huse to make room for the books.
Today, I must have over $5,000 in value of my total collection.
Even though the field hasbecome more well known, I still have more titled books than you willfind in most seminaries, bookstores and certainly public libraries.
Ibecame interested in the subject, before I was made aware of the discipline.
Before it was introduced and being described according to the subject of this writing.
In the early 1990x, about '01 or '02, I stumbled into a little bookstore in South Mpls.
Although the store know longer exist, at the time I found two small paperback books written by Black Baptist ministers.
The 1st book "Beyond Roots", by Rev.
William Dwight McKissic, Sr.
dealt with the 'Search of Blacks in the Bible'.
The 2nd book "What Color Is Jesus", by Rev.
William Mosley, dealt with 'When and why did Europeans change the image? And What effect has a White image of The Christ had On Black people around the world"? After reading these two small paperbacks, I felt like I had been culturally freedfrom the slavery of psychological bondage.
I want to read more more, I practically lost interest in reading anything but similar writing on the topic of Black Biblical Studies.
Well there were no other books available for sale, nor could I find anything related in the Public Library in Hennepin County.
I was desperate to find more writing.
Not being an avid reader, it didn't occur to me to check thebibliography until some time later.
And low and behold, I found dozens of reference books authored by African American Theologians.
Well, even though I had been raised in the Black Baptist Church, I don't ever recall the mention of Black Theologians and certainly not Black Theologians authoring books dealing with Theology.
Born again was always a statement that referred to new believers in Jesus Christ, but for the 1st time I experienced a new since of being born again, through the introduction of those two paperbacks thathad only 70 pages in each book.
Of course I couldn't find not one of the 40 to 50 books, authored by Black Bible scholars and Theologians.
Fortunately, I had recently purchased my 1st computer.
The entire world was opened to my research of this field known according to the subject title of this writing.
I begin to locate Seminaries located throughout the U.
S.
A.
both small and large colleges and universities where these Bible scholars and historians of the subject had been employed or were presently employed.
I started writing and e-mailing these individuals and low and behold, I was referred to Blackowned bookstores and publishing companies around the country.
What a revelation to behold.
I begin writing everyone that I could, to ask for additional books dealing with the subject title.
It was so encouraging that I decided to apply to the Secretary of the State of Minnesota to register my new company name.
I called my new company name: "The Presence of Africans in the Bible Book Center.
" I didn't say bookstore, because I only planned to purchase a couple books by each author, sothat I could get the wholesale discount of roughly 30%.
I felt like a kid with twenty dollars going into a candy shoppe.
I bought so many books that I had to remove furniture from my huse to make room for the books.
Today, I must have over $5,000 in value of my total collection.
Even though the field hasbecome more well known, I still have more titled books than you willfind in most seminaries, bookstores and certainly public libraries.
Source...