Curriculum Vitae
Harry H. Singleton, III, Ph. D.
(803) 447-4194
Campus Contact Information
Department of African American Studies
University of South Carolina
Gambrell Hall, Room 258
817 Henderson Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29208
Phone: (803) 777-7248
Email: HSINGLET@mailbox.sc.edu
Department of Religious Studies
University of South Carolina
Rutledge Chapel
902 Sumter Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29208
Phone: (803) 777-4100
Education
Ph. D., The Graduate Theological Union
Systematic Theology/Philosophy
Berkeley, California, 1998.
M. Div., The Interdenominational Theological Center (Morehouse School of Religion)
Theology, Old Testament
Atlanta, Georgia, 1993.
B. S., The University of South Carolina
Statistics
Columbia, South Carolina, 1988.
Areas of Specialization and Research Interests
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Liberation Theologies (Black, Womanist and Latin American)
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Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Theology
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Hegemonic Theologies/Christian Praxis
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Contemporary Religion Discourse
Professional Appointments
2013-present: Adjunct Professor, African American Studies, Religious Studies
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
2013-2020: Full Professor, Religion and Theology
Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina
2005-2013: Associate Professor, Religion and Theology
Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina
1998-2005: Assistant Professor, Religion and Theology
Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina
Publications
Books
Forever in thy Path: The God of Black Liberation.
New York: Orbis Books, 2022.
Divine Revelation and Human Liberation.
Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic Press, 2018.
White Religion and Black Humanity.
Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 2012.
Black Theology and Ideology: Deideological Dimensions in the Theology of James H. Cone.
Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 2002.
Articles
From Ideology to Theology: Toward a More Liberating Doctrine of Revelation
Antonia Michelle Daymond, Frederick Ware and Eric Lewis Williams, eds., T&T
Clark Handbook of African American Theology, 2019
God’s Unkindly Kindliness: What in This World is a Nigger Heaven?
Compilation Contributor, Testamentum Imperium (Forthcoming)
In God (and Sarah) We Trust: An Analysis of Delores S. Williams’ Critique of Black Theology’s Biblical Hermeneutics
Journal of Intercultural Disciplines, Volume VIII, Winter 2010
Between Racism and Obscurity: The Black Theologian in the Twenty-First Century Black Theology: An International Journal, Volume 6, Number 1, January, 2008
The African American Spirituals: Holistic Theologizing, Holistic Internalization
(Anthology entry: publication date not yet released)
When the Theme Itself Won’t Do: The Quest for a More Liberating Sustainability
International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social
Sustainability, Volume 1, Number 4, 2005/2006
On the Prospects a Functional Religious Pluralism in a Neo-Reified Era
(Anthology entry: publication date not yet released)
Looking Forward Backwards: The Future of Black Theology
(Anthology entry: publication date not yet released)
Pamphlets
Don’t Shout Too Soon: When Should We Celebrate (Emancipation)? w/Professor O’Neal Smalls, University of South Carolina Law School
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Freewoods Foundation, 2006. (Reprint, 2017)
Reviews
Manning Marable, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. New York: Penguin Press, 2011
Black Theology: An International Journal, Volume 3, Number 10 (2012)
The Black Church: Social Reform and Sexual Health. Social Work & Christianity, March, 2014
Future Research/Writing Projects - Tentative Titles
Books
Jesus Christ and Human Freedom
Is This America: The Struggle for Freedom in a “Free” Country
The Spirit Upon Me: Select Sermons
On Earth as it is in Heaven: A Commentary on Our Lord’s Prayer
Wheat and Chaff: The History and Future of Theology
Ten Days to God (Novel)
If God Be with Us: A Postmodern Liberation Theodicy
What Shall I Render: A Systematic Theology for the Third Millennium
Theology and Race in America: A History (Multi-Volume Work)
The Musings of a Disgruntled Theologian
Why the World Killed God
Articles
Liberation Theology Needed Now More Than Ever
Pious and Racist: The God of Christian Orthodoxy
The Historical Problem of Race and the Theological Problem of God
Liberation Theologies as the New Reformation
Black Religion: Passivity and Radicalism in Dialectical Conflict
Karl Marx’s Opiate: Reflections on an Idealist Revolutionary
Contextualizing Juan Luis Segundo’s Hermeneutics of Suspicion: A Prolegomena
to Any Future Theology of Liberation
The Doctrine of Christian Superiority Reconsidered: The Quest for an Egalitarian
Approach to the Religions of the World
Eschatological Dimensions in Toni Morrison’s Paradise
African Cultural “Survivalisms” and Black Theology: Siblings or Distant Cousins
Filled Yet Hungry: The Spritualizing of Racism
Choose This Day: The War of the Gods
Public Lectures/Invited Talks
Television Broadcast (Virtual), Critical Race Theory: What is it? Why do so many people oppose it?
OnPoint w/Cynthia Hardy, WACH Fox-57, Columbia, South Carolina, February 13, 2022
Radio Broadcast (Virtual), Critical Race Theory: What is it and Why is it Under Attack?
OnPoint w\Cynthia Hardy, 101.3 FM, Columbia, South Carolina, February 6, 2022
Interview (Virtual), Black Women and the Black Church
A Gathering Place w/Marilyn Hemingway. The Gullah Geechee Chamber of
Commerce, Georgetown, South Carolina, January 30, 2022
Panel, Documentary, Our Faith Stories: from the Slave Master’s Church Balcony
Mid-Winter Meeting, South Carolina Baptist Education and Missionary (E&M)
Convention, Royal Baptist Church, Charleston, South Carolina, January 3, 2022
Interview for documentary, Our Faith Stories: from the Slave Master’s Church Balcony
Zion Baptist Church, Columbia, South Carolina, December 6, 2021
Interview (Virtual), African American Theology, Part II
A Gathering Place w/Marilyn Hemingway. The Gullah Geechee Chamber of
Commerce, Georgetown, South Carolina, September 26, 2021
Interview (Virtual), African American Theology, Part I
A Gathering Place w/Marilyn Hemingway. The Gullah Geechee Chamber of
Commerce, Georgetown, South Carolina, August 22, 2021
Panel (Zoom): The Uproar Behind The 1619 Project and Critical Race Theory
OnPoint w/Cynthia Hardy, 101.3 FM, Columbia, South Carolina, July 11, 2021
Panel (Zoom): Why Has There Been So Much Resistance to Hate Crimes Legislation for Black People?
OnPoint w/Cynthia Hardy, 101.3 FM, Columbia, South Carolina, May 23, 2021
Webinar: Understanding The Impact of Systemic Racism on Black Families
Lutheran Family Services in America National Conference, April 16, 2021
Three–Part Lecture Series: Christianity and Race
Journey Church, Columbia, South Carolina, March 4, 11, and 25, 2021
Lecture (Zoom): Why Black Lives Mater, Why Black Families Matter
Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas, December 15, 2020
Interview (Zoom): Rock in a Weary Land: The Black Church, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Drumbeat Television Program, w/Bhakti Larry Hough, November 11, 2020
Interview (Zoom): Harry Singleton Discusses Divine Revelation and Human Liberation
I’m Just Saying (IJS) w/Andre Barnes II, Facebook Live, September 3, 2020
Panel (Zoom): Fiery Forum Fridays Presents Race and Reparations
Vision Walkers of Greater Columbia, South Carolina, July 17, 2020
Interview (Zoom): My Theological Journey
Graduate Theological Union Alumni Spotlight, July 14, 2020
Panel (Zoom): Why is it so Hard to be Black in America? The Aftermath of the Ahmaud Arbery Killing.
OnPoint with Cynthia Hardy, 101.3 FM Columbia, South Carolina, May 17, 2020
Lecture: Black History’s Place in American History
Lutheran Family Services of South Carolina
Reformation Lutheran Church, Columbia, South Carolina, February 20, 2020
Lecture: Black Theology and the Black Church
Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, February 7, 2020
Presentation: God, Politics, and Black Protest
Address to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Lancaster, South Carolina, November 9, 2019
Interview (Podcast): What is the Function of a Theologian?
The Board of Directors, September 9, 2019
Lecture: Black Theology and Redemption
Payne Theological Seminary, Wilberforce, Ohio, August 22, 2019
Lecture: Black Theology and Salvation
Payne Theological Seminary, Wilberforce, Ohio, August 21, 2019
Interview (Zoom): Social Justice and the Gospel
OnPoint with Cynthia Hardy, 101.3 FM, August 4, 2019
Interview (Radio): Are We On Our Way to A Race War
OnPoint with Cynthia Hardy, 101.3 FM, July 28, 2019
Panel: Understanding and Healing from the Effects of Racism
Kemetic Institute for Health and Human Development’s Health and Fitness Expo
Brookland Baptist Church, Columbia, South Carolina, June 18, 2018
Panel: End Racism Day
South Carolina Human Affairs Commission/Greater Columbia (SC) Community Relations Council
Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Columbia, South Carolina, March 21, 2018
Lecture: A Biblical and Theological Framework for Urban Ministry
Lutheran Theological Seminary, Columbia, South Carolina, January 3, 2018
Presentation: Karl Marx: The Greatest Nineteenth Century Theologian That Never Was
Loblolly Literary Society of Columbia, South Carolina, October 3, 2017
Lecture: A Biblical and Theological Framework for Urban Ministry
Lutheran Theological Seminary, Columbia, South Carolina, January 4, 2017
Lecture: The Social and Civic Responsibility of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s)
Carolina’s Alliance for Success in Education (CASE) Third Annual Summit
Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, North Carolina, December 2, 2016
Panel: African Spirituality in an Anti-African Reality
Kemetic Institute for Health and Human Development’s Health and Fitness Expo
Brookland Baptist Church, Columbia, South Carolina, June 18, 2016
Panel: Religion, Spirituality and Wellness
Kemetic Institute for Health and Human Development’s Health and Fitness Expo
Brookland Baptist Church, Columbia, South Carolina, August 25, 2012
Lecture: The King James Version of the Bible and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Manifold Greatness: The Creation and Afterlife of the King James Bible
Sumter County Public Library, Sumter, South Carolina, July 24, 2012
Panel: The King James Version of the Bible Turns Four Hundred: Past and Present Challenges
Manifold Greatness: The Creation and Afterlife of the King James Bible
Sumter County Public Library, Sumter, South Carolina, July 13, 2012
Lecture: One Nation under Two Gods: America’s Continuing Theological Dilemma
Race, Gender, & Sexuality Research Forum and Symposium
National Association of African American Studies
Swan and Dolphin Hotel, Orlando, Florida, June 29, 2012
Lecture: African American Religion, Christian Faith, and the Civil Rights Movement
African Americans in the South: Traditions and Contemporary Challenges Conference
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, September 21, 2011
Panel: Spirituality and Human Wellness
Kemetic Institute for Health and Human Development’s Health and Fitness Expo
Brookland Baptist Church, Columbia, South Carolina, August 27, 2011
Panel: The Activism of Black Theologians: Scholarship, Pedagogy, Institution, and
Society, The American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia
October 31, 2010
Lecture: Religion and the United States Constitution: Moving Beyond Its Theoretical
Ironies and Pragmatic Contradictions
United States Constitution Day Observances, Benedict College
Columbia, South Carolina, September 18, 2007
Lecture: In God (and Sarah) We Trust: An Analysis of Delores S. Williams’ ‘Wilderness
Experience’ Biblical Hermeneutics
National Association of African American Studies Annual Meeting
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, February, 2007
Lecture: Religion, the Legacy of Rosa Parks and Their Challenge to the Neo-Confederate
Worldview, NAACP National Religious Leadership Summit
Houston, Texas, November, 2005
Reflections on the African American Spirituals: Celebration and Ambiguity
Spirituals Rising Symposium, Benedict College
Columbia, South Carolina, April, 2005
When the Theme Itself Won’t Do: Moving Beyond a Culture of Sustainability
Social, Economic, Cultural, and Environmental Sustainability Conference
Honolulu, Hawaii, February, 2005
Lecture: My Theological Journey to Black Theology and Ideology
Brown Bag Lunch Series
Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina, April, 2004
The Double-Talk of American Religious Diversity
NAACP National Religious Leadership Summit
Atlanta, Georgia, November, 2003
On the Prospects of a Functional Religious Pluralism in a Neo-Reified Era
Biannual Conference of the International Society for Universal Dialogue
Ancient Olympia, Greece, May, 2003
New Authors Panel: The Writing of Black Theology and Ideology
Annual Conference of the Society for the Study of Black Religion (SSBR)
Washington, DC, March, 2003
Public Lecture: The Shortcomings and Promises of African American Spirituality
Columbia College, Columbia, South Carolina, November, 2001
Panel Discussion: The Confederate Battle Flag and National Sovereignty
The African American Heritage Celebration, Benedict College
Columbia, South Carolina, April, 2000
What was/is the Relationship between Christianity and Black Oppression?
Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina, October, 1999
Scholarly Response to Address of South Carolina State Representative Joseph Neal
Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina, April, 1999
Lecture: Sources for a Constructive Black Theology
The American Baptist Seminary of the West, Berkeley, California, April, 1998
The Life and Thought of James H. Cone
The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California, March, 1998
Psychotherapy and Spirituality
The University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin, Spring, 1997
The History of Black Theological Thought
The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California, September, 1996
Responses of Theology to the Philosophy of the Enlightenment
The American Baptist Seminary of the West, Berkeley, California, Spring, 1996
Academic Honors and Awards
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Who’s Who Among American Teachers, 2003-04, 2004-05
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The Graduate Theological Union Newhall Fellowship, 1995-96
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The Graduate Theological Union Presidential Scholarship, 1994-95
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The United Negro College Fund Margaret and Martin Low Scholarship, 1993
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The International Honor Society of Theta Phi, Inducted in 1992
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The National Dean’s List, 1990-92
Institutional Positions and Committees
University of South Carolina President’s Commission on University History, 2020-21
Benedict College Board of Trustees, Faculty/Staff Representative, 2006-2017
Area Coordinator, Religion/Philosophy Division, 2000-2014
Member, Benedict College School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS)
Tenure and Promotions Committee, 2005-06, 2011-12, 2015-16
Member, Benedict College Judiciary Committee, 2004-05
Member, Institutional Purpose Committee, 1999-2000
Member, Religious Life Committee, 1999-present
Member, Black History Commemoration Committee, 1999-present
Member, Literary Awards Committee, 1998-present
Courses Developed - Benedict College
Black Theology
This course surveys the origins and developments leading to the emergence of Black Theology as a formal theological school, an analysis of its key tenets, its “generations” of advocates and its most prominent critics.
Philosophy of Religion
This course exposes the student to the historical challenges posed by reason to religious belief systems. In particular, the relationship between faith and reason is explored in regard to religious experience, divine attributes, theistic arguments, miracles, life after death, and the “problem” of evil.
African American Religious History
This course examines the religious history of African Americans from their pre-colonial African roots to the contemporary setting. Primary emphasis is given to the “invisible” religion of slaves in their quest for freedom and the challenges presented to that quest by the “deradicalizing” commitments of slaveholding theology.
Principles of Christian Theology
This course introduces the student to the nature, purpose, aims, and content of Christian theological reflection. Sources, methodologies, doctrines and major figures are examined for the purpose of exposing the student to both the varied theological challenges presented to Christianity historically and to the contextual nature of theological reflection.
The Religious Thought of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X
This course surveys the life and religious thought of arguably America’s two most influential black leaders. Emphasis is placed on the formative factors that shaped their theological perspectives and more particularly their understanding of the role religion plays in effectuating human liberation.
Readings in Religion
In this doctoral seminar-style course two classic works in religion, broadly conceived, are selected and given a thorough reading for the purpose of honing the pre-graduate student’s reading comprehension and analytical skills.
Courses Taught – Benedict College
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Comparative Religion (1998-2020)
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Public Worship (1999-2001)
Courses Taught - University of South Carolina
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Introduction to African American Studies: Social and Historical Foundations, (Fall 2013 – Fall 2021)
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Introduction to African American Studies: Arts and Cultural Foundations, (Fall, 2014)
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Religions of the African Diaspora (Spring, 2018; Fall 2021)
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Martin and Malcolm: Religion and Human Liberation (Spring 2020)
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Social Justice and Religion (Spring 2022)
Professional Organization Memberships
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The Loblolly Society of Columbia, South Carolina
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The American Academy of Religion (AAR)
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The Society for the Study of Black Religion (SSBR)
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The National Association of African American Studies (NAAAS)
Service Organization Memberships
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
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Executive Committee, South Carolina State Conference, 2011-2013
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President, South Carolina State Conference, 2009-2011
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Vice President, Benedict College Chapter, 2007-2010
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Treasurer, Benedict College Chapter, 2004-2007
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
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Lifetime Member
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Delegate to National Conventions, 1987, 1990-92, 1994-95, 1999-2004, 2006
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Liaison to the National Religious Affairs Department, 2001-2006
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated (Zeta Epsilon Initiate, 1986)
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Risk Management Chairman, Columbia, South Carolina Alumni Chapter