Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church (2nd edition)

Written by Barbara A. Holmes

Narrated by Machelle Williams

Joy Unspeakable focuses on the aspects of the Black church that point beyond particular congregational gatherings toward a mystical and communal spirituality not within the exclusive domain of any denomination. This mystical aspect of the black church is deeply implicated in the wellbeing of African American people but is not the focus of their intentional reflection. Moreover, its traditions are deeply ensconced within the historical memory of the wider society and can be found in Coltrane's riffs, Malcolm's exhortations, the social activism of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the presidency of Barack Hussein Obama. The research in this book—through oral histories, church records, and written accounts—details not only ways in which contemplative experience is built into African American collective worship but also the legacy of African monasticism, a history of spiritual exemplars, and unique meditative worship practices. A groundbreaking work in its original edition, Joy Unspeakable now appears in a new, revised edition to address the effects of this contemplative tradition on activism and politics and to speak to a new generation of readers and scholars.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ChristianAudio.com
• Release date: Apr 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781545918883

Reviews for Joy Unspeakable

[deusvitae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An exploration into many of the practices of the Black church and culture and how they relate to the contemplative tradition.

The author sets out from the beginning with the recognition that Africana contemplative traditions do not look like the quiet meditative discipline which is normally associated with the term. She makes compelling arguments that even though the Africana traditions may involve dance and ecstatic experiences, it remains very much in the same vein as the contemplative tradition, and can be considered part of the contemplative tradition.

She explores the legacy of contemplation from West African societies and how they would have provided a foundation for those brought over to North America; she considered the "inner life" of those enslaved; she considered how many of the traditions of the Black church have a contemplative side or are their own forms of contemplation; she investigated the way such themes are expressed in Biblical interpretation in the Black community; she explored how the contemplative traditions were practiced and informed activism for civil rights, and even how more "secular" forms of entertainment, the blues and jazz, etc., were expressions of the contemplative tradition in many ways. She sees a way forward for song, dance, and ritual to bring people together, and for the Black church to become the home for its people it ought to be.

This is a very helpful book to expand one's view of what the contemplative tradition ought to look like, even if one has not been acculturated into such different perspectives and would find many of the practices foreign.