This paper researches the effect of biblical commentary and glosses on the African American identity. This paper aims to illustrate the change in African American response throughout history to commentaries and glosses; the more literate and sophisticated African Americans become in responding to biblical texts, the less likely they (we) are to build identity around negative stereotypes which may be perpetuated by commentaries or glosses.
We know from commentaries such as “A Reply to a Pamphlet, Entitled ‘Bondage, a Moral Institution Sanctioned by the Scriptures And the Savior, &c. &s. So Far As it Attacks the Principles of Expulsion, With No Defence However of Abolitionism’ ” that biblical commentary was used to validate black slavery; we know that from the ancient commentary the Talmud (written before the common era, B.C.E) that slavery for one particular race has never been prescribed and from a peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Negro Education that black slaves were often allowed to read the Bible but were told what to teach from and their sermons usually revolved around keeping the slaves meek. This is now considered treachery in the African American community. The negative implications of biblical commentaries have been explored, but what we do not know is how or if African Americans managed to build positive identity traits through the use of commentaries and glosses.
A historical/chronological approach is used to the thesis so the reader can see the progression of African American identity and analysis of biblical commentaries.
Table of Contents
A Brief History of Biblical Commentaries and Glosses
The Problem
Commentaries and Glosses in the Antebellum South
Harriet Jacobs, Nat Turner and the Re-Imaging or Re-Imagining of Identity
The Aftermath of the Field Negro/House Negro Identities on Modern African Americans-An Autoethnographic Depiction
Commentator against Commentator-The Causes and Effects of Splitting Communities
The Necessity of Violence as a Biblical Commentary and Identity
My Personal Commentary and Identity-Conclusion and Suggestions
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis examines how historical biblical commentaries and glosses—specifically those used in the Antebellum South to justify slavery—have influenced and shaped the identities of African Americans. The research explores the psychological and social dichotomy between the "House Negro" and the "Field Negro," arguing that these identities are perpetuated through divergent interpretations of biblical texts, and proposes a decolonization of the mind through new, black-centered biblical commentary.
- The impact of the "Curse of Ham" and "Joshua" commentaries on slave identity and resistance.
- The role of "biblical embodiment" and "typology" as literary tools for personal identity formation.
- The historical and ongoing dichotomy of the House Negro vs. Field Negro social paradigm.
- The necessity of re-interpreting biblical texts to foster strength and power within the African American community.
- The integration of Negro spirituals as ironic, counter-hegemonic biblical commentaries.
Excerpt from the Book
The Impact of the Curse of Ham Commentary on the Identity of Antebellum Blacks
For the American person of color, particularly the African American, biblical commentaries helped to shape identity in America. Biblical commentary, at first verbal and then written, shaped the religious, political and social views and identity of the black slave. For example, according to Dr. David Goldenberg, the first exposure to biblical commentary for black slaves was the verbal antebellum commentary of Genesis 9:18-29. The actual translation reads as follows:
The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled. Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem, and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew that his youngest son had done to him, he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers’ (Revised Standard Version).
What the reader may gather from this text is Noah and his sons may have been a part of a dysfunctional family. Nevertheless, what does it have to do with the identity of black slaves? This text is commonly referred to under the misnomer of the curse of Ham. It is a misnomer because a careful reading shows that Ham was not cursed; Noah cursed Canaan (Ham’s son). In addition, there is no mention of skin color in the text.
Summary of Chapters
A Brief History of Biblical Commentaries and Glosses: This chapter introduces the definition and historical function of glosses, noting how they can be slanted to favor specific authorities, cultures, or political agendas.
The Problem: The author identifies that the core issue is not the biblical text itself, but the commentaries and glosses imposed upon it, which have historically been used to marginalize people of color.
Commentaries and Glosses in the Antebellum South: This section investigates how specific passages were manipulated in the Antebellum South to create theological justifications for the enslavement of African people.
Harriet Jacobs, Nat Turner and the Re-Imaging or Re-Imagining of Identity: This chapter analyzes how figures like Harriet Jacobs and Nat Turner contested pro-slavery rhetoric by creating their own identities through biblical embodiment.
The Aftermath of the Field Negro/House Negro Identities on Modern African Americans-An Autoethnographic Depiction: The author uses an autoethnographic lens to discuss the lingering effects of the split between House and Field Negro identities in contemporary society.
Commentator against Commentator-The Causes and Effects of Splitting Communities: This chapter explores the psychological divide within the black community created by differing acceptances or rejections of biblical commentaries.
The Necessity of Violence as a Biblical Commentary and Identity: The author discusses the metaphoric and literal necessity of "violent" fervor in seizing one's positive identity and decolonizing the mind from oppressive historical interpretations.
My Personal Commentary and Identity-Conclusion and Suggestions: The conclusion advocates for the creation of a new, authentic biblical commentary written by and for African Americans to unify the community and foster positive identity.
Keywords
Biblical commentary, Curse of Ham, House Negro, Field Negro, identity formation, biblical embodiment, typology, Eirobiblical, Nat Turner, slavery, decolonization, autoethnography, African American identity, resistance, theology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The work investigates how biblical interpretations and commentaries were historically used as instruments of control to shape the identity of black slaves in America and how these identities persist today.
What are the central themes of the document?
The central themes include the manipulation of biblical text to justify slavery, the psychological dichotomy of "House" versus "Field" identities, and the power of re-imagining biblical scripture for decolonization and resistance.
What is the primary research question?
The research seeks to understand how biblical commentaries and glosses convey messages that shape the identity of the African American community and how this identity can be reclaimed through authentic re-interpretation.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The author utilizes a post-colonial approach combined with analytic autoethnography, drawing on personal reflection as a black woman and former seminarian to analyze the impact of biblical texts on her community.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body explores the historical construction of the "Curse of Ham" myth, the contrasting identities of figures like Ibrahima and Nat Turner, the literary technique of biblical embodiment, and the role of Negro spirituals as counter-commentaries.
Which key concepts characterize the work?
Key concepts include "biblical embodiment," "typology," the "Eirobiblical" interpretation, "colonized mind," and the socio-historical roles of the "House Negro" and "Field Negro."
How does the author define the "Eirobiblical"?
The author, referencing M. Cooper Harriss, defines the Eirobiblical as an interpretation based on how scripture is "acted out" or portrayed to the masses, where slaves analyzed biblical literature through their lived experiences rather than just through written text.
What is the significance of the distinction between the "House" and "Field" Negro?
This distinction represents a split in the black community regarding how power is perceived and negotiated; the House Negro identifies with the master's values and privilege, while the Field Negro, often in rejection of these values, asserts a distinct, often resistant identity.
- Quote paper
- Charmonda Hatcher-Wallace (Author), 2017, Biblical Commentaries and Glosses and Their Effect upon the Black Slave, Blacks in America and African Americans, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/383000
