Introduction
At the crossroads of survival, faith, and resistance lies Hoodoo, a tradition that blossomed in the American South from the spiritual creativity of enslaved Africans. Rootwork is more than spells and herbs. It is a living bridge between African cosmologies, Indigenous practices, and Christianity. At the heart of this system stands Jesus Christ and the Bible, not as tools of control, but as sources of power and liberation.
For the enslaved, Jesus was not the gentle savior of their enslavers’ sermons. He was a radical healer, a miracle worker, and a deliverer who understood their suffering. The Bible, likewise, was not only a text of religion. It became a conjure book, a manual of prayers, Psalms, and stories that could be activated to bring protection, justice, and survival.
How the Enslaved Viewed Jesus and His Stories
The enslaved did not hear the stories of Jesus passively. They interpreted them through the lens of their suffering and their longing for freedom.
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Jesus the Oppressed: Enslaved people saw Jesus as someone who had also been beaten, humiliated, and wrongfully condemned. His crucifixion mirrored their own experience of systemic violence. This gave them a spiritual ally who understood pain intimately.
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Jesus the Liberator: The story of the resurrection was not just about heaven. It was about survival and victory in the here and now. To rise after being crushed was the ultimate hope. Just as Jesus triumphed over death, they believed they too would triumph over enslavement and oppression.
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Jesus the Worker of Miracles: The miracles of Jesus...feeding the hungry, healing the blind, raising the dead...were proof that no condition was permanent. This resonated deeply with people who needed hope in impossible circumstances.
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Jesus the Overturner of Power: When Jesus cast out demons, defied unjust laws, and overturned the tables of the money changers, enslaved people saw Him as a divine revolutionary, not a meek figure of submission.
Through this lens, Jesus became a Christ of the enslaved; not one of obedience, but of deliverance. He was someone who stood with them in the cotton fields, in the cabins, and in the hush harbors where they gathered to pray and conjure in secret.
The Bible as a Conjure Book in Hoodoo
The Bible was one of the few spiritual tools enslaved people could access openly. In their hands, it became a book of spells, protections, and rituals that carried African understandings of the sacred word into a Christian framework.
Spoken Word as Power
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African traditions hold that speech carries energy. This belief flowed into Hoodoo practice, where scripture spoken aloud became an act of conjure.
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The Psalms were particularly powerful:
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Psalm 23: Protection and comfort.
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Psalm 51: Cleansing and repentance.
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Psalm 35: Victory over enemies.
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Psalm 91: Safety and reversal of harm.
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The Bible as a Masked Tool
Because the Bible was seen as “acceptable,” enslaved Africans could work their rootwork under the cover of reading scripture. This camouflage allowed them to maintain spiritual practices even under watchful eyes.
Ritualized Use of the Bible
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Keeping a Bible open on the altar to a chosen verse.
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Reading specific Psalms daily while burning candles dressed with oil.
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Carrying slips of Bible verses in mojo bags for protection or luck.
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Invoking the name of Jesus as the seal of authority on all workings.
In this way, the Bible was not only holy; it was practical magic, a portable grimoire that empowered enslaved people to resist despair.
Jesus Christ in Modern Hoodoo Practice
Today, rootworkers continue to call upon Jesus, not just as a religious figure, but as a living presence in conjure.
Protector and Defender
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Jesus’ blood is invoked as a shield against curses, hexes, and evil spirits.
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White candles dressed with oil are prayed over in His name for safety and peace.
Healer and Restorer
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Hands are laid on the sick while praying with the authority of Christ’s words.
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Oils, baths, and teas are consecrated in His name for physical and emotional healing.
Advocate and Judge
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In court cases or disputes, Jesus is called upon as the righteous judge who tips the scales in favor of the oppressed.
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Legal petitions are paired with Bible verses and prayers to Christ for deliverance.
Provider and Way-Maker
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Jesus is seen as the one who “makes a way out of no way.”
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Prosperity candles, money-drawing oils, and job spells are prayed over in His name, with scripture asking for daily bread and open roads.
Modern altars often include a crucifix, a Bible open to a Psalm, candles, oils, and written petitions. Many practitioners testify that working in the name of Jesus amplifies their results, because His authority cannot be resisted by any force of darkness. Conclusion: The Christ of Hoodoo Then and Now
The story of Jesus in Hoodoo is one of transformation and reclamation. Enslaved people took the religion of their oppressors and reshaped it into a weapon of survival, healing, and hope. They saw in Jesus a mirror of their struggles: a man despised, beaten, and unjustly condemned, who nonetheless rose in power.
By claiming Him as their own, they found a liberator who walked with them in the fields, listened to their midnight prayers, and answered their petitions with miracles. His resurrection promised not just eternal salvation, but also the possibility of survival, resistance, and dignity in the present.
The Bible, too, was reimagined. Instead of a book of submission, it became a conjure book: a text of power, where every Psalm, every story, and every prayer could be harnessed as magic. In Hoodoo hands, the Bible transformed into a spellbook of liberation, where the Word of God was both prayer and weapon.
Today, Jesus Christ continues to hold a central role in Hoodoo practice. He is protector, healer, provider, and righteous judge. He is called upon in candlework, baths, prayers, and petitions. And while some traditions in the Diaspora syncretized Him with Orishas or saints, in Hoodoo, He is honored directly, as Himself: the Son of God, miracle worker, and ally of the oppressed.
✨ Final Reflection: The Christ of Hoodoo is not the meek, passive figure of colonizer Christianity. He is the Christ of survival, justice, and power. The one who overturns tables, heals wounds, breaks chains, and opens roads. To call on Jesus in Hoodoo is to join a lineage of resilience that continues to transform suffering into strength and oppression into liberation.