Born enslaved on a Maryland plantation, Amanda Berry Smith (1837-1915) went on to preach the Gospel across the United States, Europe, Africa and India. How did an impoverished black woman achieve such freedom and influence? Did she ever overcome her anxious fears? Hear the story of one of the greatest Christians you’ve never heard of.
Donyelle McCray, Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Yale Divinity School, writes about the ways African American women and lay people use the sermon to play, remember, invent, and disrupt. Her book, The Censored Pulpit: Julian of Norwich as Preacher, offers a homiletical reading of Julian’s life and ministry. Her current research examines the preaching and spirituality of the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray. She is also working on a documentary film on Race, Church, and Theological Practices.
Learn more at https://divinity.yale.edu/faculty-and-research/yds-faculty/donyelle-mccray
Meet host Karen Wright Marsh, and learn more about the show here: www.karenwrightmarsh.com
For more reading, Karen recommends Susie C. Stanley’s article on Amanda Berry Smith at World Religions and Spirituality https://wrldrels.org/2016/10/08/amanda-berry-simith/
Smith’s autobiography is online at https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/smitham/menu.html
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