Sexuality and the Black Church : A Womanist Perspective

Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1(10) PART 1 THE ROOTS OF BLACK THEOLOGICAL SILENCE Black Sexuality: A Pawn of White Culture 11(20) White Culture 13(6) Sexuality in Culture 19(10) Conclusions 29(2) Stereotypes, False Images, Terrorism: The White Assault Upon Black Sexuality 31(32) The Roots of the Attack 32(1) Slavery and Black Sexuality 33(2) Black Women: A Gateway to Depravity 35(10) Violent Bucks 45(5) The Continued Attack on Black Sexuality 50(9) Conclusion 59(4) PART 2 THE IMPACT OF THE WHITE CULTURAL ATTACK The Legacy of White Sexual Assault 63(24) More Than a Reflection of White Culture 63(4) The Impact of White Culture upon Black Sexuality 67(1) A Sexual Discourse of Resistance 68(4) The Mandate for a Sexual Discourse of Resistance 72(11) Black Spirituality 83(2) Conclusions 85(2) Homophobia And Heterosexism In The Black Church And Community 87(24) The Bible and Homosexuality 89(8) Homosexuality and the Well-Being of the Black Community 97(9) Homophobia and a Sexual Discourse of Resistance 106(2) Conclusions 108(3) PART 3 A THEOLOGY OF BLACK SEXUALITY God-Talk And Black Sexuality 111(20) Created in the Image of the God of Jesus Christ 112(9) Sexual Discourse and Authentic Black Faith 121(5) Homophobia: A Sin and Betrayal of Black Faith 126(4) Conclusions 130(1) A Sexual Discourse Of Resistance And The Black Church 131(14) Reuniting the Sacred and the Secular 131(2) Black Literature: A Catalyst for Sexual Discourse 133(2) Black Sexuality and Popular Culture 135(1) Bible Study 136(1) From Pew to Pulpit 137(2) Sexual Discourse: A Call to Action 139(2) The National Religious Summit on Black Sexuality 141(1) Concluding Challenge 142(3) Notes 145(12) Index 157