African Roots in Black Catholicism

Study Notes

Black history began in Africa and is a significant part of American black identity.
Black Catholics looked to the African roots of the early church and its saints.
Both Protestant and Catholic Americans found their roots in the black Ethiopians mentioned in the Bible.
Origen, a third-century Church Father, interpreted the Song of Songs as a representation of the church.
He believed the bride in the Song represented the church and that the Queen of Sheba was an Ethiopian with dark skin.
The Septuagint translation of the Bible uses the phrase "I am black and beautiful."
Origen saw the Queen of Sheba's blackness as symbolic of the church's universality and diverse people.
He linked her to the church's origins in the "Gentiles," a term that referred to non-Jewish communities.
Origen also pointed to the wife of Moses and Ebed-Melech, a Kushite, as examples of blackness in the Old Testament.

The land of Kush in the Old Testament was often synonymous with Nubia, a region south of Egypt.
Nubians were historically connected to Egypt, serving as mediators between Egypt and sub-Saharan Africa.
Nubia, while influenced by Egypt, established its own unique culture, architecture, and writing system.
By the 8th century BCE, Nubia became a dominant power, even ruling over Egypt for a century with black pharaohs.
The XXVth dynasty, led by Nubian pharaohs like Piankhi, is well-documented in history and the Old Testament.
Isaiah refers to powerful Nubian warriors in his prophecies, highlighting their military strength and influence.
The prophets emphasized the historical presence of Nubians as a significant force in the ancient world.