Make a Black Life, and Bid It Sing: Sacred Song in <i>The Life, History, and Unparalleled Sufferings of John Jea</i>

Scholarship on the American-born Afro-British author John Jea (<i>c.</i> 1773–after 1817) has focused on his <i>c.</i> 1816 autobiography. Scholars have examined Jea's life a sailor, his literacy, his opposition to slavery, and his indifference to dependent or marginalized people, whether free or enslaved. This essay argues that Jea's 1816 <i>Collection of Hymns</i> should be read as a companion to his memoir. When the two books are read together, scholars gain a clearer insight into his opposition to slavery and his empathy with seemingly lowly people, including black Christians in evangelical churches.