“‘On the Corner of Linwood and Hogarth:’ Black Christian Nationalism and Black Zions in America”

This paper explores the theological geography of Albert Cleage, who rejected the "Old Black Theology" of distant heavenly reward in favor of a "Promised Land" in the here-and-now. While Cleage frequently defined this promised land as "more than geography"—emphasizing a state of being, racial solidarity, and nation-building—this paper argues that physical place remained central to his political theology. By analyzing Cleage’s Pan-Africanist vision of Africa as an ultimate homeland, alongside his specific ministry in Detroit, the paper demonstrates how localities functioned as "alternate Zions.” Specifically, Cleage’s designation of the Shrine of the Black Madonna at Linwood and Hogarth reveals how ritual was used to sacralize urban space. Ultimately, this paper contends that despite Cleage's rhetorical emphasis on a psychological state of being, Black Christian Nationalism was fundamentally a project of defining, creating, and defending sacred geographies.