Description
Book SynopsisA timely and provocative account of the Bible's role in one of the most consequential episodes in the history of slaveryOn July 2, 1822, Denmark Vesey, a formerly enslaved man, was hanged in Charleston, South Carolina. He was convicted of plotting what might have been the largest insurrection against slaveholders in US history. Witnesses claimed that Vesey appealed to numerous biblical texts to promote and justify the revolt. While sentencing Vesey to death, Lionel Henry Kennedy, a magistrate at the trial, accused Vesey not only of treason but also of attempting to pervert the sacred words of God into a sanction for crimes of the blackest hue. Denmark Vesey's Bible tells the story of this momentous trial, examining the role of scriptural interpretation in the deadly struggle against American white supremacy and its brutal enforcement. Jeremy Schipper brings the trial and its aftermath vividly to life, drawing on court documents, personal letters, sermons, speeches, and editorials. He
Trade Review"Winner of the Award of Merit for History & Biography, Christianity Today"
"A must-read."
---Michael Henry Adams, The Guardian"Jeremy Schipper has given us a great gift with this book. He has uncovered the truth of Denmark Vesey’s day and brought it to bear on our own."
---Jeremy Rutledge, Post and Courier"A book to be read, studied, discussed, and used in discussions of United States history, African American history, and scriptural appropriation. It is a book that truly matters." * The Catholic Biblical Quarterly *
