In You Must Be Born Again: Phillis Wheatley as Prophetic Poet, the author argues that Phillis Wheatley is the mother of liberation theology. The author uses Wheatley’s poetry and life experiences to create a portrait of Wheatley beyond that of a poet. Wheatley is described as both poet and visionary who wrestles with God during the creative process. The lyrical expressions of Wheatley’s poetry unlock the spiritual impressions on her heart. The author sets up the racial dynamics of Wheatley’s time and her engagement with those politics. As a preacher, Wheatley combats the immoral undercurrent that erodes the community’s social, economic, and spiritual foundation as well as its political systems. The author positions Wheatley as one uniquely qualified to address the hypocrisy within her world and, by implication, present-day society by calling for immersion into a radical understanding of love and justice, resulting in a renewed hope for equality and a pathway toward equity.
Reverend Wallis C. Baxter IIIserves as Senior Pastor of the Second Baptist Church Southwest in District Heights, MD.
Table of ContentsDedicationAcknowledgementsIntroduction – “I Plead the First!”: Writing a New AmericaChapter 1: Phillis Wheatley, the Poet-TheologianChapter 2: Encountering God through the Preacher: Wheatley’s InfluencesChapter 3: The Creativity of the Spoken WordChapter 4: Created in the ImaginationChapter 5: Salvation is AvailableChapter 6: The Story behind the VoiceEpilogue – To Whom Much is GivenAppendixBibliography
In Phillis Wheatley as Prophetic Poet: You Must be Born Again, Wallis Baxter, III, has not only added another significant scholarly voice (his own) to the still crucial conversation on liberation theology, he has also liberated this trailblazing 18th century bard from the confines of literary criticism and historicity that she may speak to a contemporary generation, desperately longing for another harmonious and efficacious rendering of freedom’s song.