Soul Sanctuary: Images of the African American Worship Experience [Hardcover]

Jason Miccolo Johnson (Author), Gordon Parks (Contributor), Cain Hope Felder (Contributor), Barbranda Lumpkins Walls (Contributor), H. Beecher Hicks (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 2006

A photographic celebration of the most influential institution in the African-American community--"the church--"and its unique worship experience.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jason Miccolo Johnson has been the African Methodist Episcopal Church's official photographer for the past 25 years. He has covered the annual conventions of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Church of God in Christ, and the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. He is a former production assistant at ABC Network News' Good Morning America in Washington, D.C.

Barbranda Lumpkins Walls is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience in newspapers, magazines, and online media. She spent 13 years as an editor at USA Today and was managing editor at Heart & Soul, a healthy lifestyles magazine for African-American women, and then programming director for AOL Black Voices.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (April 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821257900
• ISBN-13: 978-0821257906
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like Going To Church By Book, June 18, 2007

By 

saint james (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soul Sanctuary: Images of the African American Worship Experience (Hardcover)

I have viewed this book in several stores and have several times considered purchasing it, always deciding on another purchase, preferring to choose it again another time. Well, by generosity and thoughtfulness a friend purchased this for me as a gift. Many heartfelt thanks!

I was so pleased to have recieved it and wondered how she could have known. This beautifully photographed coffee table book is full of artistic and candid pictures of African American churches across the United States. Many of the portraits returned me to my childhood as I viewed the traditional clothing, vestments, altar dressings and familiar traditions that so many people of color hold in reverence. The less aquainted author probably would have focused on the preachers or perhaps the choirs but Jason Miccolo Johnson gave equal attention to all levels of participation in the black Christian tradition. It makes for a facinating and charming book.

Mr. Johnson has afforded the reader an opportunity to see the diversity that exists within the black church connected to our embrace of Christianity in the African American tradition. The baptist, catholic, AME, CME, apostolic, pentecostal and SDA traditions are all represented. Personally, I think the author left out one distinct African American tradition; the inclusion of the storefront church. Very many black people attend such churches in the urban centers of the United States. I would venture to guess that many of the churches profiled in this book originally worshipped in such make shift houses of worship or can trace their begginings to such humble origins.

Soul Sanctuary is a beautiful trip across country, tradition and culture with just the passing of a page. Again, many thanks.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a Must have book, August 20, 2006

By 

A customer "mistermaxxx" (usa) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Soul Sanctuary: Images of the African American Worship Experience (Hardcover)

Props to Jason Miccolo Johnson for bringing this great compilations of the Black Church Expereince&overall Vibe that is Soulful&means so much. very detailed&you will be moved.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful work!, June 1, 2006

By 

Nolan Williams, Jr. - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soul Sanctuary: Images of the African American Worship Experience (Hardcover)

"Jason Miccolo Johnson has compiled a wonderful tribute to the African American Worship Experience! This book is a MUST-HAVE!"
-Rev. Nolan Williams, Jr., Chief Music Editor of the African American Heritage Hymnal