Over My Head

""Rev. Dr. Lisa Allen's Over My Head is a masterful analysis of the possibilities for incorporating Afrofuturistic and womanist lenses in African American liturgical practice. By extending Afrofuturism into a discussion of African American sacred music, Allen has provided an accessible and invaluable resource for scholars, leaders, and laypersons to re-imagine and revitalize Black worship and liturgical practices."" --Roger A. Sneed, Professor of Religion, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina ""Lisa M. Allen, a griot of rare depth, masterfully unveils the sacred reverberations of our ancestors, demonstrating how their voices continue to guide us. With a musician's sensitivity and deep theological insight, she reveals Black sacred music's transformative power, connecting past and future through worship, memory, and Afrofuturist imagination. Never has one so steeped in Black Christian praxis examined these liturgical traditions with such nuance, illuminating how ancestral song becomes a technology for liberation, belonging, and divine presence."" --Alisha L. Jones, Associate Professor, University of Cambridge ""Allen has a clear-eyed, inspiring vision of Black church traditions thriving well into the future, riding the waves of time-honored musical genres. A delightful Sankofan hermeneutic permeates her work--we simply cannot make our way into our future as Black church communities without identifying what of our past has shaped us into who we are today. She reminds us of the historical worship themes of 'survival, resistance, deliverance and liberation, and affirmation and joy.' She then implores us to recognize and remove the liturgical shackles that have bound us to harmful, culture-erasing modes of worship. We are to utilize instead the tools of Black, historical, musical genres that give us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow."" --Catherine E. Williams, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship, Lancaster Theological Seminary, Moravian University