From Library Journal
Noted African American religion scholar Washington has gathered many previously unheard voices in this soul-stirring collection of prayers by African Americans. We hear, for example, the fervent cries of the slave Jupiter Hammon as he petitions God for salvation as well as the eloquent intercession for peace and justice of Riverside Church's senior minister, James Forbes. The anthology is divided into six sections, each focusing on specific issues in African American history and recording the prayerful responses of writers, preachers, and theologians to those issues. Included are the oft-neglected voices of Jarena Lee, Maria Stewart, and Harriet Jacobs as well as the more familiar voices of Martin Luther King Jr. and Howard Thurman. An excellent biographical sketch of each of the contributors adds to the value of the collection. Highly recommended for its thoroughness and its eloquence.
Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Westerville P.L., OhioCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
The introduction and notes alone would make this a valuable work; the collection of almost 200 prayers, poems, hymns, and stories by authors ranging from the famous to the unknown makes it even more so. Washington, an eminent theologian and historian perhaps best known as the editor of
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., provides a wealth of context and resources for scholars and others interested in American--especially African American--spirituality. His broad definition of prayer as "conversation with God" and his considerable knowledge of the sources allow him to cover a remarkably ecumenical range of material. Washington begins by recounting his reluctance to take on this project for fear that it would contribute to the "grotesque profiteering, profanation, and cultural voyeurism that stalk our times." That reluctance, and the care with which he addresses it, is the key ingredient of the sensitivity with which Washington shares the material. This is no invitation to voyeurism, but a celebration, open to scholar and layperson alike, of the rich archive of "spiritual combat against the profane absurdities of racism," and an invitation--in the best tradition of public scholarship--to participate in the conversation.
Steve Schroeder
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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