About

Join Dr. Travis Harris as he sits down with Alphonso Saville to discuss Saville's new book, "The Gospel of John Marrant: Conjuring Christianity in the Black Atlantic." The conversation begins in the theater at 2:00 p.m.

"The Gospel of John Marrant: Conjuring Christianity in the Black Atlantic" is the first full-length study of North America’s first black ordained minister, the Reverend John Marrant, and examines how Protestantism and West African indigenous religious practices deeply informed Marrant’s life and ministry. Marrant’s life and work, Saville contends, reveal the diverse religious cultures that contributed to the formation of African American Christianity and its evolution into a prominent institution during the colonial and early history of the United States.

Alphonso Saville
A photo of Alphonso SavilleAlphonso F. Saville IV is a scholar of American religion whose research focuses on the legacies of slavery in American religion, African American Christianity and the religions and literature of the African diaspora. Dr. Saville is Assistant Professor of American Religious History and Mission at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, NC. He was previously an Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral fellow for American Religion and Slavery in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Georgetown University, and also the 2014-15 Thurgood Marshall Dissertation Fellowship in African and African American Studies at Dartmouth College.

Travis Harris
Travis Harris, Ph.D., is a visiting assistant professor at Norfolk State University and the editor-in-chief for the Journal of Hip Hop Studies. Bridging academia and activism, his work contributes to peer-reviewed scholarship while engaging with diverse media platforms. His insights have been featured on NewsOne, NPR, Moguldom, The Onyx Report, The New Journal and Guide, and many more. His research examines the multiple dimensions of African diasporas with a specific focus on race, religion and Black culture. As an interdisciplinary scholar, he analyzes the complexities of Black life.