Society for the Study of Black Religion collection

The Society for the Study of Black Religion (SSBR) is the oldest scholarly society dedicated to the study and production of knowledge about the broad diaspora of Black religion. The choice of name marked the beginning of a continuous debate involving Charles H. Long, a historian of religions who was primarily concerned with all religious experience among African Americans and not just with Christian experience. On the other side of the debate was James H. Cone, a systematic theologian who was concerned primarily, but not exclusively, with Christian experience. This distinction involved complicated differences in the perspectives of two disciplines, history of religions and systematic theology. The name chosen for the Society is an umbrella for both viewpoints, but the debate about the essential purpose of the Society continues for academic and intellectual reasons.

The first meeting was in October, 1970, with the society's mission to "engage in research and discussion about the religious experiences of blacks and to promote the teaching of these experiences in colleges and universities." A constitution was adopted that gave purposes for the Society, these are: 1) To engage in scholarly research and discussion about the religious experience of Blacks; 2) To publish reports of its discussions and research; and 3) To encourage the teaching and discussion of the Black religious experience in the curricula of college or university departments of religion and theological seminaries. The SSBR hosts an annual conference and publishes a newsletter. (excerpted from the Society for the Study of Black Religion website, 2016)