African-Atlantic cultures and the South Carolina lowcountry

African-Atlantic cultures and the South Carolina lowcountry

By Ras Michael Brown

Book Description

This illuminating exploration reveals how African-descended communities in South Carolina maintained and transformed their spiritual connections to the natural world across centuries of profound change. Ras Michael Brown guides readers through the rich religious landscape of the Lowcountry, where ancient African traditions met new American realities and created something entirely unique.

At the heart of this spiritual journey are the Kongo nature spirits called simbi, whose presence shaped how enslaved Africans and their descendants understood their relationship with the land, water, and sacred forces around them. Through careful examination of religious practices from colonial times through the twentieth century, Brown demonstrates how spirituality became a vital tool for building communities and navigating cultural transformation.

The book unveils the sophisticated ways African Americans wove together ancestral beliefs with emerging forms of Christianity, creating a distinctive spiritual framework that honored both traditions. Readers discover how everyday activities like farming, fishing, and gathering became sacred acts that connected people to deeper spiritual truths about their environment and identity.

This scholarly yet accessible work offers profound insights into the resilience of spiritual traditions and their power to sustain communities through historical upheaval. For those interested in understanding how indigenous wisdom adapts and thrives in new contexts, Brown's research provides a compelling window into the enduring strength of African-Atlantic spiritual practices and their continuing influence on American religious life.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)

📄 Length: 296 pages

What You'll Discover

  • ✓ Explore South Carolina
  • ✓ Explore HISTORY / World
  • ✓ Explore Christianity and other religions
  • ✓ Explore Animism
  • ✓ Explore African americans, south carolina
  • ✓ Explore Social life and customs
  • ✓ Explore Africans
  • ✓ Explore Religion

Topics Covered

South Carolina HISTORY / World Christianity and other religions Animism African americans, south carolina Social life and customs Africans Religion African Americans African americans, religion

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