A revealing look at the identity and mission of the black churchWhat is the true nature and mission of the church Is its proper Christian purpose to save souls or to transform the social order This question is especially fraught when the church is one built by an enslaved people and formed from its beginning at the center of an oppressed communitys fight for personhood and freedom. Such is the central tension in the identity and mission of the black church in the United States.For decades the black church and black theology have held each other at arms length. Black theology has emphasized the role of Christian faith in addressing racism and other forms of oppression arguing that Jesus urged his disciples to seek the freedom of all peoples.