A look at the religious institution at the heart of the African-American experience,

focusing on the key events, charismatic figures, political debates and musical traditions that have shaped - and been shaped - by the Black Church. Here, host Henry Louis Gates Jr reveals its historic beginnings.

Ch2. A Nation Within a Nation
Under slavery, the Christian faith provided a way for enslaved people to cope with the brutal and dehumanising experience of bondage. Henry Louis Gates Jr reveals that with freedom on the horizon, independent Black churches helped the formerly enslaved navigate emancipation, the Civil War and the promise of Reconstruction, during this transformational period in American history.

Ch3. God Will Make a Way
The dawn of the 20th century was a pivotal period for black churches socially, musically, economically and politically. Host Henry Louis Gates Jr shares how the "nation within a nation" expanded its reach to address the social ills of society and minister to those in need. At the same time, he reveals how a clear denominational divide emerged within the black church.

Ch4. Crisis of Faith
After the violent loss of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr, Black churches found themselves at a crossroads. Host Henry Louis Gates Jr uncovers how Black churches grappled with their contradictory legacy of being an instrument of liberation, while at the same time battling class and ideological divisions that alienated vital members of their congregations.