I’m white and go to a white church. We’re quite stoic during prayers and sermons, just sitting and listening.
Why is it different in the black churches I’ve been to? Every now and then the pastor will say something and someone in the congregation will reply, “Yes, Lord!” or “That’s right,” or “Hallelujah” or something similar. I’m not criticizing-- occasionally while I’m in a black church I’ll do the same thing. But I’m curious as to why the difference exists. Is it a cultural thing endemic to all black churches? Is it based on denominational lines? What?
Some Southern Baptists can get rowdy, and most Holiness or Pentacostal churches are very interactive and audience-participatory.
I will say that my understanding of it (which is limited) is that various tribal cultures had established “call and response” dances or ceremonies which they remembered once they were dragged here as slaves. These types of things were strictly suppressed by slave-owners, but the feels and rhythms of them were able to be incorporated into church services, as it looked bad for the owners to prohibit slaves from becoming Christian and having worship services.
That established, it made the church really powerful in black social and community life, and when white pastors wanted to incorporate some of that influence and power, they looked to black churches for inspiration for their revivals and church renaissances.
Call and response dates back to African music and later in the American blues and jazz that arose from it. It would seem natural that this tradition would carry over into religion.
At least Reform Jews in the United States do this at services I’ve seen. At various times in the service, there will be a section in the siddur (prayer-book) consisting of a series of one-sentence devotional statements, which are alternately read aloud by the Rabbi and by the congregation in unison. I’m surprised to learn, in this thread, that this is not a standard feature in lots of other devotional services.
ETA: In the above-quoted responsive reading, I should note that alternate lines were given in bold-face, which I suppose are the lines for the congregation to read out loud in unison.
It’s not entirely obvious if this is the kind of thing that OP is talking about though.
I have limited experience with churches, Black or otherwise, but I sometimes listen to local Sunday Black ministers preaching on the radio, and the description in the OP is not that unusual. It’s sometimes two speakers, one the minister delivering the sermon, and another speaker doing color commentary which is mostly stuff like “That’s right! That’s right.” Watch some of Gino Jennings sermons and you’ll see the same sort of thing.
I’m in the UK but my understanding - from Blues and Gospel that we got into back in the day - was call and response came directly from slaves in the cotton fields, as a way to get through the day.
Yeah, it’s cultural. It’s similar to asking why churches in heavily Scottish areas sometimes have bagpipers - it’s something that people want and can connect with.
I think the OP is talking about the spontaneous, unscripted, response. There may be one person shouting, or a group of people shouting, but they may be saying “Amen” or “Yeah!” or “Praise!” or “Thank you, Lord!”, sometimes all at the same time with different words. Not the entire congregation knowing what words to say next because they always say that then. You can hear it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T79s8Qr_Qeo
I think the theory that it comes from musical call and response is probably pretty sound. There’s a musical quality when it really gets rolling. It is clear from the preacher’s phrasing, pauses and intonation that he’s expecting some sound from the congregation at those points. It’s expected to be spontaneous and heartfelt, though, something which I’ve heard some congregants complain isn’t the case in other services where the responses are often delivered in a mumbled monotone.
The example above doesn’t have it, but the pianist, or less often the organist will often be improvising flourishes and musically punctuating the sermon as well. (Is there a name for that). Often many of the congregants will be nod find or rocking to the cadence of the sermon as well. It absolutely is related to music, the sermons are often lyrically styled to the point of altering words to create rhymes.
And the responses seems to be mostly punctuating the sermon.
I’m white, grew up in semi-rural North Georgia and was raised in a Pentecostal church. Yelling, screaming and shouting (often in ‘tongues’) was the norm…
I attended Lutheran schools while growing up and we were required to study a different religion each quarter in our last couple years of high school. A lot of this comes down to how different denominations interpret the Bible. There are verses that say you should sing loudly and proudly with your praises, there are others that emphasize quiet understanding and pondering. Both are bibically valid approaches. I don’t go to church much anymore but I kind of prefer the more vocal varieties. If you are trying to get your kids into going to church, they’ll definitely enjoy that experience a lot more than sitting still quietly for an hour while the pastor talks about whatever.
“Much of the sermon is improvised around a matrix both sacred and profane, and the style is cohesive enough that one can enter virtually any black Baptist, Methodist, or Pentecostal church from coast-to-coast and hear a sermon of similar form. This is assured in part by the congregation, which answers the preacher verbally at every opportunity, creating a call-and-response pattern, which often builds to a frightening intensity.”
Its part of their culture and its something that white teachers have to get used to when they teach in a black classroom. Also something black kids have to learn to drop when they are not.
Yeah, kind of sounds racist but its really not when you get to know the cultures.
