Ecclesiastical politics and the role of women in African-American Christianity, 1860–1900

Thesis

This thesis seeks to offer new perspectives on the role of women in African-American Christian denominations in the United States in the period between the Civil War and the turn of the twentieth century. It situates the changes in the roles available to black women in their churches in the context of ecclesiastical politics. By offering explanations of the growth of black denominations in the South after the Civil War and the political alignments in the leadership of the churches, it seeks to offer more powerful explanations of differences in the treatment of women in distict denominations. It explores the distinct worship practices of African-American Christianity and reflects on their relationship to denominational structure and character, and gender issues. Education was central to the participation of women in African-American Christianity in the late nineteenth century, so the thesis discusses the growth of black colleges under the auspices of the black churches. Finally it also explores the complex relationship between domestic ideology, the politics of respectability, and female participation in the black churches.

Authors: Scratcherd, G

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-1zjod17d8
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Subjects: African American Methodists--History.; African American women.; African American women--Religious life.; African Americans--Southern States--Religion.; African American women--History.; African Americans--Southern States--Religion--History.; Baptists, Black; African American Baptists.; African American women clergy--History--19th century.; African American women--History--19th century.; African American clergy--History.; Colored Methodist Episcopal Church--History.; Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; African American clergy--History--19th century.; African Methodist Episcopal Church--History--19th century.; African American women--Religious life--History.; African American women clergy.; African American clergy.; Colored Methodist Episcopal Church.; African American churches--History--19th century.; African Methodist Episcopal Church--History.; African American Baptists--History.; African Americans--Southern States--Religion--History--19th century.; African American churches--History.; United States--Church history.; African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.; African American women--Religion.; African American Methodists--History--19th century.; African Methodist Episcopal Church.; African American churches.; African American Methodists.; Baptists, Black--History.; African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church--History.; Christian Methodist Episcopal Church--History.