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(Image used with permission by Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation.)
July 23, 2021
Presenter: M. Shawn Copeland, Ph.D.
This lecture explores the figure of Mary Magdalene as interpreted through Negro or African American Spirituals. Special focus is given to the resurrection narratives in the Gospels. Starting with an overview of the Spirituals' origin and composition, Prof. Copeland examines a number of specific songs' portrayals of St. Mary Magdalene and how she informed a theology of empowerment for enslaved people.
Sponsored by the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
M. Shawn Copeland, Professor Emerita, Boston College Department of Theology