| Chapter 1: | Pre-Twentieth-Century Roots of Pentecostalism |
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Although the place of the drum and drumming in African culture was lost to the slaves forced to come to North America, they developed alternate methods of expressing rhythm. Spencer contended that the rhythmic qualities of “black” preaching, foot stomping, hand clapping, singing, the ring shout, and even the beating of a mother’s heart as she cradled her infant, were instrumental in the development of spirituals, the blues, and African American dance and art forms. It also shaped the manner in which African Americans came to express themselves in Christian worship. Dancing in the Spirit, hand clapping, and exuberant singing were the trademarks of early Pentecostal worship. All these elements were found in West African religious experience as well.30 Other shared concepts included the idea of God as a supreme being and reliance upon religious professionals who functioned in much the same way as Christian ministers.31
Church historian H. Leon McBeth contended that most enslaved Africans were not interested in Christianity, the religion of their oppressors, when they arrived in North America. Instead they were subjected to varying degrees of treatment by the major Christian denominations. Colonial churches hesitated to initiate efforts to evangelize slaves partly because of language and cultural barriers. Some whites questioned whether African slaves possessed an eternal soul that needed salvation. Economic concerns also prevented efforts to convert slaves to Christianity. McBeth asserted that an “ancient tradition” required “that a slave converted could no longer be held in servitude, having become a brother beloved in Christ.” Therefore, it was assumed that the mass conversion of slaves to Christianity would necessitate emancipation and the ultimate destruction of the slave-based economy.