The Negro church

de W. E. B. Du Bois

A sociological survey of black religion in the United States begins with a short description of primitive African religion, focusing on its nature worship and sorcery, and how Christian and Muslim incursions affected African religion and the disastrous effect of the African slave trade. The history of slavery and religion is followed by the struggles over the Christian legality of slavery, to restrictions of slaves in church attendance, to new educational efforts by such agencies as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. The report then shifts focus to "current conditions." It charts churches in 1890 by denomination (Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.), African Union Methodist Protestant, Congregational Methodist, A.M.E. Zion, Colored Methodist Episcopal, Cumberland Presbyterian) and by state, reporting total church membership, number of congregations, and total value of church property. In addition, the report briefly covers other social issues, including the relation of the church to men and women, children, and ministers. Appended to the report is the program for the conference, along with the remarks of Washington Gladden, the keynote speaker, and a list of resolutions adopted by the conference.