The Council of Nicaea (AD 325) affirmed the full divinity of Christ, securing a doctrinal foundation that continues to shape Christian theology. While Nicene Christology is often discussed within patristic and systematic theological frameworks, its theological significance extends beyond the councils and into lived expressions of faith. This paper explores how the Christological affirmations of Nicaea were preserved and proclaimed in the spirituals of enslaved African Americans, demonstrating how these songs functioned as unintentional yet deeply faithful expressions of Nicene orthodoxy.
The central thesis of this paper is that African American spirituals embody and reinforce Nicene Christology by affirming Christ’s divine sovereignty, kingship, and eschatological reign. Spirituals such as “Ride On, King Jesus” and “Glory to the Newborn King” do more than offer comfort—they proclaim a theological vision of Christ that aligns with the Nicene declaration of His eternal sonship and authority. This study will analyze these and other spirituals through historical theology, African American religious studies, and hymnological analysis, demonstrating how they serve as theological texts that uphold biblical orthodoxy. This analysis will also demonstrate how the Nicene creed has functioned as a unifying confession across cultural contexts.
By engaging literature on Nicene theology—including Athanasius, Lewis Ayres, and Khaled Anatolios—this paper situates its discussion within patristic scholarship. African American theological thought, as represented by scholars like Albert Raboteau, Dwight Hopkins, and Miles Mark Fisher, further support the claim that African American spirituals embodied and reinforced Nicene Christological commitments. Hymnological analysis, drawing from Melva Wilson-Costen, Eileen Genther, and Vincent Wimbush, reveal how spirituals functioned as vehicles of theological communication. This paper bridges the gap between early Christian doctrinal formulations and their expression in African American religious experience. It will argue that the enslaved, though often denied formal theological education, grasped and communicated the core Christological affirmations of Nicaea through song.
The contribution of this paper lies in highlighting African American spirituals as a significant yet underexamined site of Nicene theological transmission. While discussions on Nicene Christianity often focus on creedal formulations in European and patristic traditions, this study demonstrates how the same Christological commitments were actively lived and sung in 19th century African American religious life. This paper calls for a broader understanding of how Nicene Christianity has been embraced and sustained within marginalized communities.