God’s Amazing Grace: Reconciling Four Centuries of African American Marriages and Families

Book excerpt: “God’s Amazing Grace: Reconciling Four Centuries of African American Marriages and Families is an insightful study that will be welcomed by thoughtful practitioners and all who ponder the African American family’s complexity. Readers familiar with the deep, rich reservoir of African American family literature will recognize many of the black scholars referenced in this work. Readers unfamiliar with these sources will be grateful to discover them and the effective use of disparate literature. “This work will become a different kind of guide for studying American history through the lens of the African American family. Underneath all the research is the search for answers to the compelling questions: Is there a correlation between slave owners’ denial to slaves, God’s design for the family, and the familial chaos that has plagued African American families for more than a hundred fifty years? And if there is connection, what is it? “The author has brought something new to a familiar topic of discussion—the Bible. The unique moral compass that steered this study is solidly anchored in the bedrock of holy scripture. In this work, the history and sociology of African American marriages are examined in light of the questions asked by Holy Scripture. In so doing, Dr. Turner skillfully attempts to help readers make sense of the story of black families in America. May this book mark the beginning to a new reality for African American families” (Dr. Willie Peterson, senior executive advisor, adjunct professor of Pastoral Ministries, Dallas Theological Seminary).