During the late 18th and the early 19th century, the population of African-American slaves on Southern plantations experienced an unprecedented amount of conversions to Christianity. The vast amount of establishments of missionary societies and circulations of pamphlets demonstrated the slaveholders’ fervent effort to educate their slaves on religious matters. Although the great number of black converts by the beginning of the 19th century could be interpreted as an evidence of slaves’ increasing freedom, Albert Raboteau contradicts such misconception in Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South. In his book, Raboteau categorizes slave evangelization as an apologists’ defense against Northern abolitionists’ accusation…show more content… The grace of being spiritualized helped to assuage the guilt of enslaving fellow human beings, who would otherwise die as pagans. Despite the justification of spreading Gospels, slave conversion did not take place without thwarts and oppositions from slaveholders, who prioritized the economic profitability over Christianization of slaves on plantations. However, as the revivalistic Protestantism, evangelicalism, emerged in the 18th century, more emphasis was put into conversion by Christians. African-Americans were, therefore, able to become participants in American religious culture. Nevertheless, the revival fervor was carefully and subtly regulated to avoid any condemnation of slavery, which could be argued as inconsistent with the gospel of…show more content… This tone exemplifies the author’s nonchalance in bringing potential change to his society’s status quo, which at that time failed to align conscience with justice. The author shows much enthusiasm, however, in advocating for a better treatment of slaves as a fulfillment of divine duty. This self-contradictory point of view, which neglects the fundamental flaw and prioritizes surface issues, reveals the author’s attempt to diverge attention away from the moral issue of slavery. In addition, by equating the relation of Christians to God with that of slaves to masters, the author suggests the adequacy of slaveholding in