Joesph Early

Dr. Joesph Early serves as Professor of Theology at Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Kentucky, where his scholarship centers on the historical development of Baptist communities in America with emphasis on 18th-century African American religious experiences.

His core research areas include:

• Church History
• Baptist History
• African American Religious History
• Historical Theology
• American Religious History

Dr. Early's work examines the explosive growth of African American Baptists from 10% to 97% of American Baptists between 1780-1790, analyzing systemic barriers like worship surveillance, restricted Bible access, and the censored "Slave Bible" that omitted 90% of the New Testament to suppress rebellion narratives. His research documents early congregations including Silver Creek (1773) and Savannah's African Baptist Church (1788), highlighting resilience against church destruction and family separation under slavery.