Religion

Rev Basil Manly Sr.: The 19th-Century Pastor Who Used the Bible to Justify White Ownership of Black Bodies

Basil Manly Sr. was more than a Southern preacher, he was one of the most vocal and influential theological defenders of American slavery. A prominent Baptist minister, university president, and the author of the infamous Alabama Resolutions, Manly’s beliefs...

Rev. James Thornwell: The Pastor Who Preached Slavery as God’s Will and Called Abolitionists Enemies of Christianity

Rev. James Henley Thornwell was a prominent 19th-century Presbyterian pastor who believed that slavery was morally right and fully justified by the teachings of Christianity. A staunch supporter of the Confederacy, Thornwell argued that those who opposed slavery, particularly...

Mawu-Lisa: The Dual God Who Created the World According to the Fon People

In the spiritual beliefs of the Fon people of Dahomey (present-day Benin), the universe was created not by a male god or a female goddess, but by Mawu-Lisa, a powerful deity embodying both feminine and masculine energies. Mawu and...

The Society for the Conversion of Negro Slaves: How the Bible Was Used to Enforce Obedience in the British West Indies

The Society for the Conversion of Negro Slaves was a British missionary organization established in the late 18th century, under the leadership of Anglican Bishop Beilby Porteus. Its primary aim was to replace African spiritual beliefs with Christian doctrines...

Anthony Bewley: The Texas Pastor Lynched for His Anti-Slavery Views in 1860

On September 13, 1860, a mob in Fort Worth, Texas, lynched a Methodist pastor named Anthony Bewley. His crime? He dared to oppose slavery in a state where even the faintest whisper of abolitionism could cost a person their...

“Slaves, Obey Your Masters”: How the Church Used the Bible to Break the Spirit of Enslaved Africans and Instill Docility

In the brutal world of slavery, where whips tore skin and families were auctioned, and bred like cattle, the most powerful weapon wasn’t always the lash, it was the Bible. Through sermons, laws, and redacted scripture, Christianity which was...

“Teach Them to Love Poverty”: King Leopold II’s 1833 Letter to Colonial Missionaries and the Mental Enslavement of Africa

In the year 1883, as European empires tightened their grip on Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium issued a letter to colonial missionaries that would later come to symbolize the most chilling fusion of religious evangelism and imperial conquest....

Odomankoma: The Omnipotent Creator of All Things According to the Akan People of Ghana

The Akan people of Ghana have a rich spiritual tradition that centers around a powerful triad of deities: Nyame, Nyankopon, and Odomankoma. Among these, Odomankoma stands out as the omnipotent creator of all things, the divine craftsman who shaped...

The Jesuits and Their Involvement in Slavery in the 18th Century

Every generation of humans somehow figured out ways to make God in their image. The heart of man is desperately wicked, and what better way to justify this than to have God on his side. In God's name, everything...

Ekwensu: The Igbo God of War Misrepresented as the Devil by White Missionaries

Ekwensu occupies a significant place in Igbo cosmology as the Alusi (deity) of war and trade. As a spirit associated with negotiation, bargains, and strategy, Ekwensu was both revered and feared for his ability to guide warriors in battle...
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Rev Basil Manly Sr.: The 19th-Century Pastor Who Used the Bible to Justify White Ownership of Black Bodies

Basil Manly Sr. was more than a Southern preacher, he was one of the most vocal and influential theological...
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