(same as REL_ST 4704). In this course, we will explore the role of religion in the shaping of the African diaspora in the Americas through discussions of the readings. We will focus on the use of religion to pursue emancipation from enslavement and the concept of full freedom. Research and theories from mainly history, religious studies, and literature will be used to examine some of the ways in which black people have improved their condition through religion. The main objective of this course is to study the connections between religion and the fashioning of black resistance to slavery and systems of domination after slavery.