The Black Church Studies Program at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary seeks to be an evangelical seminary's interdisciplinary megaphone for the global, historical, theological, and prophetic traditions of Black Americans and members of the African Diaspora.
A megaphone is both necessary and right for a theological tradition that has been often suppressed and historically undervalued. We assume that by engaging with these manifold traditions, we come to a deeper understanding of who God is and what God requires of us: both doctrine and ethics. The program also seeks to be fiercely practical by focusing on the actual lives and lived experience of Black people and of local Black churches yesterday, today and tomorrow for the purpose of holistic liberation: a work that the Triune God has begun and one that the Triune God will complete.
Paired with this practicality is the program’s interdisciplinary nature: by weaving together history, sociology, theology, music, literature, and other disciplines, we seek to clearly proclaim the beauty of these expressions of our common faith.
A variety of courses with an emphasis on Black Church Studies are being offered on a rotation each semester.