The Dreamer and the Dream: Afrofuturism and Black Religious Thought

by Roger A. Sneed

In The Dreamer and the Afrofuturism and Black Religious Thought , Roger A. Sneed illuminates the interplay of Black religious thought with science fiction narratives to present a bold case for Afrofuturism as an important channel for Black spirituality. In the process, he challenges the assumed primacy of the Black church as the arbiter of Black religious life. Incorporating analyses of Octavia Butler’s Parable books, Janelle Monáe’s Afrofuturistic saga, Star Trek ’s Captain Benjamin Sisko, Marvel’s Black Panther , and Sun Ra and the Nation of Islam, Sneed demonstrates how Afrofuturism has contributed to Black visions of the future. He also investigates how Afrofuturism has influenced religious scholarship that looks to Black cultural production as a means of reimagining Blackness in the light of the sacred. The result is an expansive new look at the power of science fiction and Afrofuturism to center the diversity of Black spirituality.

196 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2021

Reviews

[Rowan King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book serves as an accessible introduction to critical conversations surrounding Afrofuturism and the application of concepts from Black process/liberation theology to popular media in Afrofuturist circles. Folks who are already familiar with Afrofuturism and/or the theological discourse that’s sprung up around Octavia Butler’s “Parables” series will find a definite labor of love in these pages, though one that traces well-known ground.