Black Hebrew Israelites

A concise, detailed introduction to Black Hebrew Israelite history that contains biographies of leading figures and groups.

Michael T. Miller (Author)

9781009486989, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 March 2024

82 pages
23.5 x 16 x 1 cm, 0.268 kg

The Black Hebrew Israelite movement claims that African Americans are descendants of the Ancient Israelites and has slowly become a significant force in African American religion. This Element provides a general overview of the BHI movement, its diverse history/ies, ideologies, and practices. The Element shows how different factions and trends have taken the forefront at different periods over its 140-year history, leading to the current situation where diverse iterations of the movement exist alongside each other, sharing some core concepts while differing widely. In particular, the questions of how and why BHI has become a potent and attractive movement in recent years are addressed, arguing that it fulfils a specific religious need to do with identity and teleology, and represents a new and persistent form of Abrahamic religion.

1. Introduction
2. First wave: 19th century roots
3. Second wave: 1920s Harlem
4. Third wave: 1960s midwest
5. Fourth wave: 21st century New York and beyond
6. Conclusion
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: History of religion [HRAX]