Roots of a Black Future: Family and Church

by J. Deotis Roberts

A vital look at the nature, destiny, and mission of the black family and the black church today.

Roots of a Black Family and Church seeks to continue a discussion revolving around families and church in the black experience, both to their symbolic and actual relationship. It explores the deeper meaning of church as family and family as church. Grounded in the context of black families and churches within American society, this book also acknowledges that black communities are affected by society as a whole, a society largely controlled by the white community. But those societal circumstances do not control or determine how the black community unites. The book’s main focus is upon the nature, destiny, and mission of black families and churches in this country, in the hopes of unifying these two parts of life.

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 24, 2002

About the author

J. Deotis Roberts was the fourth president of the Interdenominational Theological Center. Born July 12, 1927 in Spindale, North Carolina, he earned a Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology in 1957 and later received a Doctor of Letters Degree, both from the University of Edinburgh. Roberts also received degrees from Johnson C. Smith University (Bachelor of Arts), Shaw University Divinity School (Bachelor of Divinity), and Hartford Seminary (Master of Sacred Theology).

He was a pioneer of Black theological discourse in the late 1960’s known as the Black Theology movement, whose most notable public figure is James Cone. As a highly respected and first generation African American theologian, Roberts offered a critical response to the early works of James Cone, particularly Cone’s Black Theology and Black Power.

In addition to this work, Roberts has taught at several universities, training generations of scholars at educational institutions around the world including Howard University, Yale University, Duke University, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Buenos Aires. Outside his role as ITC President, Roberts has held different administrative posts, most notably as the first and only Black president of the American Theological Society, also being one of its earliest African American members. J. Deotis Roberts has published numerous books and articles, including The Prophethood of Black Believers: An African American Political Theology for Ministry, Black Theology in Dialogue, and Liberation and Reconciliation: A Black Theology, and A Black Political Theology. He served as the president of the Interdenominational Theological Center from 1980-1983.