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

Scholarship on the American-born Afro-British author John Jea (c. 1773–after 1817) has focused on his c. 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 Collection of Hymns 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.