University of North Carolina Press Soul Liberty: The Evolution of Black Religious Politics in Postemancipation Virginia

Review [An] exciting integration of digital humanities with a traditional monograph. . . . [Turner's] book effectively proves why scholars of Black political life should not ignore the complex history of Black churches. --Journal of Southern HistoryImpressive. . . . Soul Liberty is a well-researched study and a valuable resource for individuals interested in African American religion and politics.--Journal of Appalachian StudiesThis is specific, clear, empirical research conducted skillfully and presented straightforwardly. . . . This book swiftly rises to the A-list of must-reads in African American religious history.--Reading ReligionA masterful exploration of post-Emancipation black religious life in Virginia. . . . A must-read for those interested in the evolution of black religious life in America.--Publishers Weekly, starred review Product Description That churches are one of the most important cornerstones of black political organization is a commonplace. In this history of African American Protestantism and American politics at the end of the Civil War, Nicole Myers Turner challenges the idea of always-already politically engaged black churches. Using local archives, church and convention minutes, and innovative Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, Turner reveals how freedpeople in Virginia adapted strategies for pursuing the freedom of their souls to worship as they saw fit-and to participate in society completely in the evolving landscape of emancipation.Freedpeople, for both evangelical and electoral reasons, were well aware of the significance of the physical territory they occupied, and they sought to organize the geographies that they could in favor of their religious and political agendas at the outset of Reconstruction. As emancipation included opportunities to purchase properties, establish black families, and reconfigure gender roles, the ministry became predominantly male, a development that affected not only discourses around family life but also the political project of crafting, defining, and teaching freedom. After freedmen obtained the right to vote, an array of black-controlled institutions increasingly became centers for political organizing on the basis of networks that mirrored those established earlier by church associations. About the Author Nicole Myers Turner is assistant professor of religious studies at Yale University.