The often-overlooked little 1976 classic Negro Spirituals: From Bible to Folksong by German scholar Christa Klingbeil Dixon gets new life in this translation editionof her complete dissertation and book. Daniel L. Smith-Christopher, a biblical scholar, and Kim R. Harris, a scholar of African American religious thought and practice with a rich background in liturgy, both of Loyola Marymount University join to frame this stimulating volume.

Stephen Breck Reid, vice provost for faculty diversity & belonging, Baylor University

Written in the 1960s, this newly-translated dissertation explores the biblical roots of the Spirituals' texts and the way those roots have been “presented and reinterpreted” in the Spirituals. Dixon is convinced that Spirituals' tradition is betrayed without an understanding of the “unique unity of life and faith” they embody, and she takes great pains to present her case. Translators Harris and Smith-Christopher contribute additional chapters that address aspects largely ignored by other authors – making this an invaluable book for innumerable reasons.

Eileen Guenther, Wesley Theological Seminary, author of In Their Own Words: Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals

This important volume by Drs. Harris and Smith-Christopher is a welcome contribution to our understanding of the too often neglected Biblical guideposts of the sacred folk songs that were birthed by enslaved African women and men in America. With the authors' new editing and translation of Crista Dixon's classic work, paired with their own fresh exploratory essays, scholars and lay readers alike will find themselves ushered into a whole new world!

Arthur C. Jones, University of Denver Lamont School of Music, author of Wade in the Water: The Wisdom of the Spirituals