Doctor of Ministry Thesis · Wesley Theological Seminary · 2002
Reimagining Faith and Culture:
When the Black Church Lost Its Youth, Hip Hop Had the Answer
Hip Hop Hermeneutics by Burton Leroy Mack
5.0
Psalms of lament and Hip Hop lyrics share the same cry, fear, hopelessness, anger, and a God who cares about His people.
About the Author
Burton Leroy Mack
Burton Leroy Mack is an ordained United Methodist pastor who served at Good Hope Union United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Asbury United Methodist Church in both Frederick, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Driven by a deep love for young people and a personal experience of generational loss, including the passing of his son Marcus Emanuel Nix Jr. and his grandson Marcus Emanuel Nix III, Mack dedicated his life to finding new ways for the Black Church to reach and recapture African American youth before they are lost forever.
In 2002, he submitted his doctoral thesis at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., titled Hip Hop Hermeneutics: A Tool to Help the Black Church Recapture African American Youth, a groundbreaking work that bridges the gap between ancient biblical scripture and modern Hip Hop culture. A grandfather, a pastor, and a scholar, Burton Leroy Mack writes not from a distance, but from the heart of a man who sat with his own grandchildren and truly listened to their world.
Dr. Burton Leroy Mack
Author
Pre-order Now
This is not just a book; it is an urgent call that the Black Church cannot afford to ignore. Every day without this message is another young soul lost to the streets. Pre-order your copy of Hip Hop Hermeneutics today and discover why Pastor Burton Leroy Mack believes the answer to the church's greatest crisis has been playing on the radio all along.
About the Book
Hip Hop Hermeneutics: A Tool to Help the Black Church Recapture African American Youth
Published in 2002 as a Doctor of Ministry thesis at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C., this pioneering work by Pastor Burton Leroy Mack asks one of the most urgent questions facing the Black Church: why are African American youth leaving, and how can the church bring them back?
Mack's answer is bold and unexpected. He argues that Hip Hop music, often dismissed, criticized, and feared by the church, is in fact one of the most powerful tools available to reconnect with young Black Americans. Drawing on deep biblical scholarship, he places Psalm 55 directly alongside Tupac Shakur's "Only God Can Judge Me", demonstrating that both express the same timeless human cry: fear, hopelessness, betrayal, and a desperate plea to God for deliverance.
More than an academic study, this book is a pastor's love letter to his community, a compassionate and courageous call for the Black Church to stop rejecting the language of its youth and start using it as a sacred bridge back to faith, before they are lost forever.
Testimonials
Customer testimonials
This work opened my eyes to the spiritual depth hidden inside Hip Hop music. Mack connects Tupac to the Psalms in a way that is both academically rigorous and deeply moving."
James Smith
As a Black pastor struggling to keep young people in church, this book felt like it was written directly for me. Practical, powerful, and prophetic."
Mary Smith
Mack does something remarkable; he makes you see Tupac Shakur and King David as two voices crying out to the same God. A must-read for anyone who cares about youth ministry.
Patricia Williams
I have been a pastor for over twenty years, and I always kept Hip Hop at arm's length. This book made me sit down and truly listen, not just to the music, but to the young people in my own congregation who had been speaking all along. Burton Leroy Mack does not just write about a problem. He hands you the solution."
Pastor James R. Thompson
I grew up in the church, but I never felt like the church understood me. When I read that Tupac and King David were expressing the same pain to the same God, something shifted inside me. This book made me feel seen for the first time in a long time."
Darius M.
As a theology student, I was skeptical at first. Using Hip Hop lyrics alongside sacred scripture felt like a stretch. But Mack's scholarship is rigorous, his compassion is undeniable, and his argument is airtight. By the time I reached the comparison of Psalm 55 and Tupac's Only God Can Judge Me, I was convinced. This is exactly the kind of bold thinking the church needs right now."