Overview

In Finding God in All the Black Places, Beretta E. Smith-Shomade contends that Black spirituality and Black church religiosity are the critical crux of Black popular culture. She argues that cultural, community, and social support live within the Black church and that spirit, art, and progress are deeply entwined and seal this connection. Including the work of artists such as Mary J. Blige, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Prince, Spike Lee, and Oprah Winfrey, the book examines contemporary Black television, film, music and digital culture to demonstrate the role, impact, and dominance of spirituality and religion in Black popular culture. Smith-Shomade believes that acknowledging and comprehending the foundations of Black spirituality and Black church religiosity within Black popular culture provide a way for viewers, listeners, and users not only to endure but also to revitalize. This book is also freely available online as an open-access digital edition.

Full Product Details

Author:   Beretta E. Smith-Shomade
Publisher:   Rutgers University Press
Imprint:   Rutgers University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.60cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.476kg
ISBN:  

9781978839786

ISBN 10:   1978839782
Pages:   320
Publication Date:   04 November 2024
Recommended Age:   From 16 to 99 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

THE PROGRAM CALL TO WORSHIP: God Is...Understanding Spirituality as the Sine Qua Non of Black Popular Culture INVOCATION: God Is Trying to Tell You Something: Calling Up the Mediated Black Past PROCESSIONAL: Jesus and Hennessy Go Good Together: Sacralizing the Secular PRAYER OF CONFESSION: As for Me and My House…Spike Lee’s Negotiation with Christianity as a Sign of Blackness TESTIMONY: I Got a Testimony: Sistah Blackacademics and God PRAISE BREAK: Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance All Night! Mediated Audiences and Black Women’s Spirituality TITHES & OFFERING: I’mma Be Stupid Rich!: Millennials and the Holy Grail of Tech Salvation PASSING OF THE PEACE: Don’t Play with God! Black Church, Fun and Possibilities SELECTION: Never Losing Its Power: (Re)Visioning the Roots and Routes of Black Spirituality MESSAGE: Urgent Like a Mofo: The Sublime Synergy of Sexuality in Black Music Culture THE INVITATION: I Shall Wear a Crown: Black Oprah the Savificent BENEDICTION: But God (reflection) Order of Service CALL TO WORSHIP 1 “God Is” . . . Understanding Spirituality and Black Church Religiosity as the Sine Qua Non of Black Popular Culture 2 INVOCATION 19 God Is Trying to Tell You Somethin’: Calling Up the Mediated Black Past 20 PROCESSIONAL 33 Jesus and Hennessy Go Good Together: Sacralizing the Secular 35 PRAYER OF CONFESSION 57 As for Me and My House . . . Spike Lee’s Negotiation with Christianity as a Sign of Blackness 58 TESTIMONY 77 I’ve Got a Testimony: Sistah Blackacademics and God 78 PRAISE AND WORSHIP 101 Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance All Night! Mediated Audiences and Black Women’s Spirituality 102 TITHES & OFFERING 115 “I’mma Be Stupid Rich!” Millennials and the Holy Grail of Tech Salvation 116 PASSING OF THE PEACE 139 Playing with God! Black Church and Humor 140 SELECTION 159 Never Losing Its Power: (Re)Visioning the Roots and Routes of Black Spirituality 160 THE MESSAGE 177 Urgent Like a Mofo: The Sublime Synergy of Spirituality and Sexuality in Black Music Culture 178 THE INVITATION 223 I Shall Wear a Crown: Black Oprah the Savificent 224 BENEDICTION 243 But God (Reflection) 244 Devotional Guide 251 Concordance 000

Reviews

"""Beretta E. Smith-Shomade takes readers on a much-needed whirlwind tour of spirituality and religiosity in black popular culture, from Mary J. Blige to Meshell Ndegeocello and the ministry of Oprah Winfrey. An important reminder of where we've come from...and where we're going."" --Kristal Brent Zook ""author of I See Black People: The Rise and Fall of African American-Owned Television and Radio"" ""Embark on an innovative and captivating exploration of spirituality in unexpected spaces with Finding God in All the Black Places. From the evangelism of Oprah, to the passionate worlds of Queen Sugar and Eve's Bayou, to delving into the testimonial power of artists like Mary, Mary, and Mary J. Blige, the author skillfully unveils how diverse belief systems influence media consumption. Dr. Smith-Shomade creates a stunning and fresh contribution to scholarship that transcends boundaries and enriches our understanding of faith in contemporary media studies."" --Robin R. Means Coleman ""author of Horror Noire: A History of Black American Horror from the 1890s to Present, 2nd edition"""

""Embark on an innovative and captivating exploration of spirituality in unexpected spaces with Finding God in All the Black Places. From the evangelism of Oprah to the passionate worlds of Queen Sugar and Eve's Bayou to delving into the testimonial power of artists like Mary Mary and Mary J. Blige, the author skillfully unveils how diverse belief systems influence media consumption. Dr. Smith-Shomade creates a stunning and fresh contribution to scholarship that transcends boundaries and enriches our understanding of faith in contemporary media studies.""   -- Robin R. Means Coleman * author of Horror Noire: A History of Black American Horror from the 1890s to Present, 2nd edition * ""Beretta E. Smith-Shomade takes readers on a much-needed whirlwind tour of spirituality and religiosity in black popular culture, from Mary J. Blige to Meshell Ndegeocello and the ministry of Oprah Winfrey. An important reminder of where we’ve come from…and where we’re going.”   -- Kristal Brent Zook * author of I See Black People: The Rise and Fall of African American-Owned Television and Radio *

"Embark on an innovative and captivating exploration of spirituality in unexpected spaces with Finding God in All the Black Places. From the evangelism of Oprah, to the passionate worlds of Queen Sugar and Eve's Bayou, to delving into the testimonial power of artists like Mary, Mary, and Mary J. Blige, the author skillfully unveils how diverse belief systems influence media consumption. Dr. Smith-Shomade creates a stunning and fresh contribution to scholarship that transcends boundaries and enriches our understanding of faith in contemporary media studies. --Robin R. Means Coleman ""author of Horror Noire: A History of Black American Horror from the 1890s to Present, 2nd edition"""

Author Information

BERETTA E. SMITH-SHOMADE is a professor in film and media at Emory University in Atlanta. She is the author of Shaded Lives: African-American Women and Television (Rutgers University Press, 2002) and Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy: Selling Black Entertainment Television. She has also edited two anthologies: Watching While Black: Centering the Television of Black Audiences (Rutgers University Press, 2013)—a Choice Outstanding Academic Title—and its remix, Watching While Black Rebooted! The Television and Digitality of Black Audiences (Rutgers University Press, 2023).        

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