Critical Reflection Masters and Slaves in the House of the Lord

Religion and Slavery in the Old South

Boles, John B aimed to oppose slavery and religion in the Old South. During the antebellum period, southern whites and blacks prayed together and heard the same summons. They all shared the same beliefs, were baptized together, and were buried in the same graves.

Contentious Issues of Race and Religion

Race and religion have always been contentious issues in this region, and the status of black people in southern society has been called into doubt. Religion was considered as a means of abolition of slavery through instituting universal baptism (Boles).

Biracial Membership and Mission to the Slaves

In the book, the author questions blacks’ participation in the white churches by focusing on biracial membership in these churches and the whites’ mission to the slaves. The slaves were ordered to obey the masters, and the masters were asked to be kind to their servants. The masters had a great responsibility to take care of their servants. The slaves were meant to obey their masters, and the slave was supposed to be industrious and dutiful. Some whites even enjoyed the music and dance of the slaves during church services. Blacks worshiped in different ways, and some did not take part in the church functions, especially during the colonial period. A good number of them practiced Islam, and others practiced traditional ways of worshiping God. Most of the slave owners discouraged these other types of worship, making all the slaves have a traditional church with other whites. Finally, the slaves were meant to drop all their traditional beliefs and join Christianity (Boles).

Impact of Joining the White Churches

The slaves were subjected to new rules when they joined the white churches. Their daily transformation was opened to the consensus of the church congregation. The slave gatherings were meant to govern the black, and serious offenses invaded the white interventions. In 1970, both the whites and blacks attended the same rally and watched the same games but did not worship together. The attitudes of the entire congregations, the whites, and the church ministers had an enormous impact on the blacks. The black Christians could worship independently or join the master’s churches. These kinds of religion were not mutually exclusive, and most of the time, the black Christians attended both churches (Boles).

The Controversial Relationship Between Race and Religion

The book explains that race and religion have always been the most controversial topics in the south, especially when it comes to questioning the position of blacks in society. The book contributed to the development of different church practices, the increase in the size of the church building, the capability of pastors and other church leaders to meet the needs of the black Christians and the white Christians. It contributed to the development of leadership skills among the blacks, which contributed to the developing tendency towards the separation of the blacks and whites and finally contributed to the variation in the church methodology. The slaves and the masters found themselves united in different ways and united the two groups together because they shared a common faith in the church (Boles).

Joint Fellowship and Unity

Boles’ analysis of this union and its consequences brings to a discussion of a joint fellowship experienced by both the whites and blacks Baptists that characterized their relationship in the church. Slavery was an unethical practice conducted by the church, but because of church teachings, the mistreatment that was common during slavery was destroyed. The masters were asked to respect the slaves, and the slaves were also requested to respect their bosses. Both the slaves and their masters were invited to live together in harmony as Christians (Boles).

Formation of Separate Spaces

Boles’ argument and reasoning are compelling because he focused on the slave community adopting Christianity, and in these biracial churches, the slaves could not only prove their understanding but also shape out their space because of racial segregation policies. Therefore, slaves and their masters were recorded separately or together according to the whims of the church clerk. The resulting theological belief reinforced slavery as a legitimate part of the community in the south, but it also introduced the belief that all men were equal before God. Somehow, the theological teachings weakened moral authority by upholding behavioral norms like time, business success, self-denying labor, and participation of educated citizens. Slavery reforms received its reinforcement from both the religious thoughts and the revolutionary movements. The reform ideology combined the liberal ideas of universal human progress and spiritual unity between the slaves and their masters. Finally, after several years, the joint separation in religion occurred, and the slaves started worshiping separately from the white Christians (Boles).

Teachings and Impact

Some of the teachings from this book include the liberation of slavery and the gaining of independence in the southern community. It explains how the whites reconciled their faiths with the issue of racism. It also explains why the slaves obtained their freedom immediately after the civil war and established black denominations. Finally, the book provides essential reading materials for historians who study religion that includes the South and the African American experience during slavery as well as life after slavery.

Work Cited

Boles, John B. Masters & Slaves in the House of the Lord: Race and Religion in the American

South, 1740-1870. Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky, 1988.