This picture is of the back entranceway to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on 141st Street and Convent Avenue. What struck me about this doorway is the contrast of the beautiful mosaic of St. Luke in the pediment above the doors and the Theodore Parker quote about democracy displayed across the double doors. The deeply religious image on the pediment and the seemingly secular quote displayed across the double seemed incongruous to me. Even more interesting is that the author of the quote is Theodore Parker, a Unitarian Transcendentalist preacher and thinker who advocated for what he referred to as an “industrial democracy” which would create the most religious society possible by emphasizing the spiritual perfection of every person. Much like Adam Clayton Powell did, Parker combined his political and theological views in order to create a theory to better society. Another interesting fact is that in the courtyard to the left of the door was a statue of the Alexander Hamilton (see below). This is not surprising as the church was located in Hamilton Heights, where the American Founding Father once owned a large portion of land. This church is truly a testament to the history of Harlem and its importance within the American political and religious narrative.
