Black Nationalism and Theodicy. Emphasizing Henry Highland Garnet, Alexander Crummell, and Henry McNeal Turner - James Holmes

From the very beginning of the relationship between Black Religion and Black Nationalism, there has been a perplexing question of the meaning of undeserved suffering in a cosmos governed by a good, loving, and omnipotent God. Henry Highland Garnet (1815-1882), Alexander Crummell (1819-1898), and Henry McNeal Turner (1834-1915) wrestled with this question. How did Garnet, Crummell, and Turner account for evil in the world? How did they reconcile Black suffering with an omni-benevolent-omnipotent God? What was the meaning of undeserved suffering to these persons? This book compares and analyzes the differences and similarities in the thinking of Garnet, Crummell and Turner in terms of the emerging theodicies in their respective Black Nationalist positions.

For the past two centuries, Black Nationalism has been a cyclical idea in the United States, fading away at times and re-emerging with other forces at other times. Historically, Nationalistic Movements among Blacks have fared best when White resistance to Black progress has been most intense. Black Nationalism has been most subdued when there has been visible progress among Blacks.

However, when that progress is again impeded Black Nationalism undergoes a resurgence.1

While several books and numerous articles have examined Black Nationalism during the nineteenth century, no major work has focused upon the relationship between Black Nationalism and the theodicy question. Of the many Black Nationalist figures, several were ordained ministers, with three of the most prominent being Henry Highland Garnet, Alexander Crummell, and Henry McNeal Turner. While there are several biographies and books about these persons and their nationalistic ideas, there are no works that specifically focus upon the relationship between their theodicies and their Black Nationalist positions.