The Talking Book: African Americans and the Bible

The Talking Book casts the Bible as the central character in a vivid portrait of black America, tracing the origins of African American culture from slavery's secluded forest prayer meetings to the bright lights and bold style of today's hip-hop artists.

The Bible has profoundly influenced African Americans throughout history. From a variety of perspectives this wide-ranging book is the first to explore the Bible's role in the triumph of the black experience. Using the Bible as a foundation, African Americans shared religious beliefs, created their own music, and shaped the ultimate key to their freedom—literacy. Allen Callahan highlights the intersection of biblical images with African American music, politics, religion, art, and literature.

The author tells a moving story of a biblically informed African American culture, identifying four major biblical images—Exile, Exodus, Ethiopia, and Emmanuel. He brings these themes to life in a unique African American history that grows from the harsh experience of slavery into a rich culture that endures as one of the most important forces of twenty-first-century America.

"This is a landmark book. I am not aware of any book in print that draws so many telling conclusions about African Americans and the Bible." —Mark A. Noll, University of Notre Dame

"A fascinating excursion through many genres of African American culture, as varied as spirituals and hip hop, sermons and the visual arts." —Leslie Callahan, University of Pennsylvania