Go Tell It on the Mountain

Religion has a domineering presence in Go Tell it on the Mountain. Not only does the narrative set in the present take place inside The Temple of the Fire Baptized church, but the characters’ thoughts are rife with religion, fear, and belief. The church functions as a pivotal location for the characters, providing them with a physical embodiment of their relationship to religion. Inside the church, they can forget about the racism, poverty, and abuse that defines their lives. The church is a community where they do not need to worry about the external pressures on their lives. Instead, they can be with like-minded people and share their joy in their belief in God. To the members of the church, their shared religion is a way to encourage moral behavior and to ensure that they are all able to improve their fortunes, in the next life if not their current lives.

Though the church claims to be a source of morality and guidance, the church is also a place where the repressed fears and anxieties of the members are unleashed. The threshing floor allows the members to give themselves up entirely to their innermost feelings, shouting, and writhing in apparent joy as they feel a direct connection to God.