How Christianity was Used in America to Make Slaves of African Descent and Freed Negroes Submissive, Subservient, and Controllable

By: Donald V. Watkins

Copyrighted and Published on June 18, 2024.

Charles Colcock Jones Sr. (December 20, 1804 – March 16, 1863) was an American Presbyterian clergyman, educator, and planter in Liberty County, Georgia.  He was both a slave owner and an evangelical missionary to slaves.

Jones, who owned plantations in Arcadia, Montevideo, and Maybank, Georgia, published several books, including "The Religious Instruction of the Negroes in the United States" (1842).  This book was an appeal to slave owners and ministers to provide religious instruction to slaves.

During this period, Jones wrote additional tracts and papers on the religious instruction of slaves that were eventually published in 2006 as a book with commentary and analysis by Kamau Makesi-Tehuti. Titled, "How to Make a Negro Christian,"this book raised the central question, “What will be the benefit of giving enslaved Afrikans Christianity?” 

Jones answered this question directly and clearly as follows:  

"It is a matter of astonishment, that there should be any objection at all; for the duty of giving religious instruction to our Negroes, and the benefits flowing from it, should be obvious to all. The benefits, we conceive to be incalculably great, and [one] of them [is] there will be greater subordination . . .amongst the Negroes,” (Page 52).

The lessons of Christianity that was beaten into American slaves by Jones and other slave owners in slaveholding states were:

Ephesians 6:5: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.”

Colossians 3:22: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”

1 Peter 2:18: “Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.”

The evangelization of slavery created a system that made slaves and subsequently freed Negroes more submissive, subservient, and easier to control by converting them to Christianity.  Over time, Jones' methods proved highly successful and became standard operating procedure for controlling slaves. Jones' brand of Christianity also achieved essentially the same results for most freed Negroes in America over the 159 years since slavery ended.

"Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." -- George Santayana