Title: Black Divinity: Institutes of the Black Theocracy Shahidi Collection Vol 1
Author: Shahidi Islam
Publisher: Global Summit House
ISBN: 978-1646696550
Pages: 310
Genre: Religion & Spirituality
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Spirituality has always played a major role in the lives of most citizens around the world for centuries. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force – that thoughts rule the world.” In author Shahidi Islam’s Black Divinity: Institutes of the Black Theocracy Shahidi Collection Vol 1, the question of spirituality is applied to one of our world’s greatest struggles even in the modern age, and that is equality for the Black community.
In this book, the author takes a deep dive into the historical movements that fought for equality and the modern-day struggles of the community and how the struggles connects to religious scripture and spirituality. From the first pages the author begins examining the Apostle Paul’s words, from his views on men and women to slavery and more. From there the author’s own experiences come into play as readers are shown the culture and understanding view on the outside see plays out in the streets of New York City and among those who were once members of gangs, and found a new path through spirituality, and in the process found the thing worth fighting for.
During a time when the rights and struggles of the Black Community are at an all-time high not only in the United States but around the world, author Shahidi Islam’s book is more crucial than ever before. The author’s words are powerful and well written, giving an air of authority to the author’s story and the history of it all.
This is a book for those who enjoy history, spirituality, religious studies and its impacts on culture and society as a whole. While I myself am not religious, it was fascinating to learn and understand a new perspective and to see how spirituality has impacted the Black Community and its struggle to find equality and recognition in the world. The study of ancient cultures and mythology alongside spirituality also adds more depth to the conversation, and illustrates the long path that many have taken to get to the point of understanding they are at today.
Intellectual, spiritual and engaging, this is a must-read book that really relates to many people around the world today. Whether you are religious or spiritual or neither at all, this read will give some amazing insight into the struggles of the Black Community and how these concepts have played into the community as a whole. A truly thought-provoking book, author Shahidi Islam’s Black Divinity: Institutes of the Black Theocracy Shahidi Collection Vol 1 is a brilliant read that deserves a thorough examination. Be sure to grab your copy today!
