Spirituals (or Negro spirituals) are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America. Terminology and origin The term spiritual's derived from spiritual song. The King James Bible's translation of Ephesians V.19's: "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." The term spiritual song was often used in the white Christian community through the 19th century (and indeed much earlier), but not the term… (More on Spirituals)