Reviewed Book: Hopkins, Dwight N. Cut loose your stammering tongue: Black theology in the slave narratives. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991

Cole-Arnal, Oscar

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 21Issue 2 Aspects of Ecumenity Article 1311-1-1995Cut loose your stammering tongue: Black theologyin the slave narrativesOscar Cole-ArnalFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationCole-Arnal, Oscar (1995) "Cut loose your stammering tongue: Black theology in the slave narratives," Consensus: Vol. 21 : Iss. 2 ,Article 13.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol21/iss2/13122 Consensuswestern socialist parties including the two to which I have belonged (theD.S.O.C. and the New Democratic Party).In conclusion, I welcome your book. I see it as a positive contributionto a Christian vision that I espouse personally and that needs to be heardin the middle class mainline churches to which we belong. Solidarity!Oscar Cole ArnalWaterloo Lutheran SeminaryCut Loose Your Stammering Tongue: Black Theologyin the Slave NarrativesDwight N. Hopkins and George Cummings, editorsMaryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1991165 pp.The reputation of Orbis Books as a publisher of texts actively commit-ted to the liberation of people from oppression is enhanced by the printingof this excellent work. Initially the firm was dedicated chiefly to the pub-lication of translations of Latin American liberation theology. Increasinglyits presses are turning out books geared primarily to the North Americanscene. In the case of Cut Loose Your Stammering Tongue we see a powerfulattempt by radical black theology to link up with its roots in the black slaveculture of the United States. As a white middle class male Christian I rec-ognize my inability to deal with this work in all its profundity. Nonetheless,I can still offer it praise and laud its pioneering contribution to an area ofhistorical recovery critical to a church history determined to resurrect theradical and grass-roots character of the Christian gospel.There is a movement afoot which examines popular religion in all itsvariegated facets both in the United States and Canada. It is often soci-ological and descriptive, but its agenda remains vague and uncommitted.Once again we are witnessing history done from a distance and for its ownsake. Such is not the case with this book. The editors make their pointswith clarity. Their work is a process of “learning from the liberating faiththat comes out of the actual mouths of the poor”,a faith that compels blacktheologians to honour “the struggle for black liberation and full humanity”and “to mediate and privilege poor people’s silenced voices” (p. xv).They fulfill this task admirably. Not only do they uphold rigorous andscholarly methods, but they also provide a forum and structure wherebythe ex-slaves are able to articulate the faith held while they were in chains.The old notion that white Christianity enchained the slave culture withremarkable success is challenged by this work. There seems to be no doubtthat the white slave-owning elites sought to use the faith in this way, buttheir efforts were mostly in vain. In fact, the slaves used a powerful blendBook Reviews 123of African religious values and Christianity to both survive and revolt inthe midst of gruelling oppression. Against their owners the slaves learnedto read so that they could use the Bible in radical ways. Their preachersheld services illegally in the quiet of the night where the slaves prayed andsang and called for freedom now and not just in the “sweet by and by”.The Exodus and Moses were central, and many of their own liberators, suchas Harriet Tubman, were called Moses. It was the slaves’ faith, in sharpcontrast to the faith of the elite, which encouraged hope for freedom andaction as well.Cut Loose Your Stammering Tongue is a pioneering work. It is part ofthe continuing resurrection of black theology which serves as a challenge tothe mainline approach of comfortable intellectualized and safe theology. Ihave no doubt that it will serve its community of choice very well. AlsoI hopfe'That white middle class Christians will read it and take up thechallenge to leave “the fleshpots of Egypt” and join the oppressed on theirrocky road to liberation.Oscar Cole ArnalWaterloo Lutheran SeminarySaraband: The Memoirs of E.L. MascallLeominster, Herfordshire: Gracewing, 1992 (Reprinted, 1995)X + 392 pp. $53.95When E.L. Mascall died at 87 on February 14, 1993, the Times’ grudg-ing obituary, in all likelihood, accurately reflected his status in the Churchof England, the philosophical establishment, and Great Britain generally;the obituary filled two full columns and included a photograph, but foundlittle to say of him other than that he was a “leading Anglo-Catholic. ..[an]Anglican to the fingertips [who] had an abiding loyalty to the Church inwhich he was brought up”. He “had resolved”, the Times insisted, not togo over to Rome, women priests or no women priests. “An academic ratherthan an administrator”, the Times continued, Mascall never achieved the“distinction his early academic attainments had seemed to promise”.Newspapers, of course, seldom provide useful reading for anyone otherthan those desperate to gain insights into whatever discourse is fashionableat the moment, and certainly the Times ’ obituary continued the best of thisFleet Street tradition. But the need for a reprint of a 400-page ramblingmemoir of an octogenarian semi-eccentric Thomist only three years after itsfirst printing demonstrates that not everyone is so certain that the dominantview of Mascall is the only one possible.Anglo-Catholic and Thomist, Mascall certainly was, but one must takecare not to read these adjectives as marks of inevitable desiccation. Con-cern for the maintenance of the Christian tradition carries with it a firm

Cut loose your stammering tongue: Black theology in the slave narratives

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 21
Issue 2 Aspects of Ecumenity Article 13
11-1-1995
Cut loose your stammering tongue: Black theology
in the slave narratives
Oscar Cole-Arnal
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Cole-Arnal, Oscar (1995) "Cut loose your stammering tongue: Black theology in the slave narratives," Consensus: Vol. 21 : Iss. 2 ,
Article 13.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol21/iss2/13
122 Consensus
western socialist parties including the two to which I have belonged (the
D.S.O.C. and the New Democratic Party).
In conclusion, I welcome your book. I see it as a positive contribution
to a Christian vision that I espouse personally and that needs to be heard
in the middle class mainline churches to which we belong. Solidarity!
Oscar Cole Arnal
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Cut Loose Your Stammering Tongue: Black Theology
in the Slave Narratives
Dwight N. Hopkins and George Cummings, editors
Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1991
165 pp.
The reputation of Orbis Books as a publisher of texts actively commit-
ted to the liberation of people from oppression is enhanced by the printing
of this excellent work. Initially the firm was dedicated chiefly to the pub-
lication of translations of Latin American liberation theology. Increasingly
its presses are turning out books geared primarily to the North American
scene. In the case of Cut Loose Your Stammering Tongue we see a powerful
attempt by radical black theology to link up with its roots in the black slave
culture of the United States. As a white middle class male Christian I rec-
ognize my inability to deal with this work in all its profundity. Nonetheless,
I can still offer it praise and laud its pioneering contribution to an area of
historical recovery critical to a church history determined to resurrect the
radical and grass-roots character of the Christian gospel.
There is a movement afoot which examines popular religion in all its
variegated facets both in the United States and Canada. It is often soci-
ological and descriptive, but its agenda remains vague and uncommitted.
Once again we are witnessing history done from a distance and for its own
sake. Such is not the case with this book. The editors make their points
with clarity. Their work is a process of “learning from the liberating faith
that comes out of the actual mouths of the poor”
,
a faith that compels black
theologians to honour “the struggle for black liberation and full humanity”
and “to mediate and privilege poor people’s silenced voices” (p. xv).
They fulfill this task admirably. Not only do they uphold rigorous and
scholarly methods, but they also provide a forum and structure whereby
the ex-slaves are able to articulate the faith held while they were in chains.
The old notion that white Christianity enchained the slave culture with
remarkable success is challenged by this work. There seems to be no doubt
that the white slave-owning elites sought to use the faith in this way, but
their efforts were mostly in vain. In fact, the slaves used a powerful blend
Book Reviews 123
of African religious values and Christianity to both survive and revolt in
the midst of gruelling oppression. Against their owners the slaves learned
to read so that they could use the Bible in radical ways. Their preachers
held services illegally in the quiet of the night where the slaves prayed and
sang and called for freedom now and not just in the “sweet by and by”.
The Exodus and Moses were central, and many of their own liberators, such
as Harriet Tubman, were called Moses. It was the slaves’ faith, in sharp
contrast to the faith of the elite, which encouraged hope for freedom and
action as well.
Cut Loose Your Stammering Tongue is a pioneering work. It is part of
the continuing resurrection of black theology which serves as a challenge to
the mainline approach of comfortable intellectualized and safe theology. I
have no doubt that it will serve its community of choice very well. Also
I hopfe'That white middle class Christians will read it and take up the
challenge to leave “the fleshpots of Egypt” and join the oppressed on their
rocky road to liberation.
Oscar Cole Arnal
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Saraband: The Memoirs of E.L. Mascall
Leominster, Herfordshire: Gracewing, 1992 (Reprinted, 1995)
X + 392 pp. $53.95
When E.L. Mascall died at 87 on February 14, 1993, the Times’ grudg-
ing obituary, in all likelihood, accurately reflected his status in the Church
of England, the philosophical establishment, and Great Britain generally;
the obituary filled two full columns and included a photograph, but found
little to say of him other than that he was a “leading Anglo-Catholic. .
.
[an]
Anglican to the fingertips [who] had an abiding loyalty to the Church in
which he was brought up”. He “had resolved”, the Times insisted, not to
go over to Rome, women priests or no women priests. “An academic rather
than an administrator”, the Times continued, Mascall never achieved the
“distinction his early academic attainments had seemed to promise”.
Newspapers, of course, seldom provide useful reading for anyone other
than those desperate to gain insights into whatever discourse is fashionable
at the moment, and certainly the Times ’ obituary continued the best of this
Fleet Street tradition. But the need for a reprint of a 400-page rambling
memoir of an octogenarian semi-eccentric Thomist only three years after its
first printing demonstrates that not everyone is so certain that the dominant
view of Mascall is the only one possible.
Anglo-Catholic and Thomist, Mascall certainly was, but one must take
care not to read these adjectives as marks of inevitable desiccation. Con-
cern for the maintenance of the Christian tradition carries with it a firm


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