Editorial Reviews
From Publishers
Weekly
Williams, who wrote the
companion volume to the award-winning PBS documentary Eyes on the Prize, and
Dixie, an Indiana University professor, offer a well-illustrated companion
volume to the upcoming PBS series "This Far by Faith." They follow the
traditional contours of other studies of African-American religious history,
beginning with slavery and following the tale through the emergence of free
black churches; the nadir of the late 19th century; the Great Migration; the
rise of black nationalism and urban religious traditions in the early 20th
century; the civil rights movement; and the embrace of alternative religions
such as Hinduism, Buddhism and the Five Per centers in the 1970s through the
1990s. One particularly interesting segment discusses those mid-20th century
black Christian leaders who adopted conservative stances on integration;
Williams and Dixie have done a great service by presenting these ministers'
views alongside the more familiar stories of civil rights leaders,
demonstrating the ideological diversity of the African-American church. At
times, the book's writing style can be abrupt and jerky, switching from one
historical figure to the next, or between different cities, without
transitions to help the reader. The prose is also overburdened with romantic
language about heroes who laid their all at the altar of sacrifice, etc.-a
device that may work well over six separate installments of a television
series, but quickly becomes redundant in print. The real strength here is
not the writing but the 76 memorable photographs and illustrations, which
powerfully attest to the courage and religious convictions of generations of
African Americans.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
This companion to a six-part
PBS special airing in February 2002 examines African American religious
life.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Customer Reviews
Avg. Customer Review:
The Power of Faith, April 16, 2003
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Reviewer: The
RAWSISTAZ Reviewers |
If you have ever wondered how people who lived
during slavery survived, THIS FAR BY FAITH is the book you need to read. It
is about how religious faith inspired one of the greatest movements in
American history, the U.S. Civil Rights movement. With stories told
regarding politics, tent revivals and ministers leading rebellions against
slavery, you see how in the most trying of times the faith in God and church
can prevail. There are numerous pictures of some of our most prominent black
leaders, some you know and some you may not know. There are also pictures of
sit-ins, voting, lynching and blacks attending church. We learn of William
J. Seymour who started the American Pentecostal movement, Charles Price
Jones who founded the Church of God in Christ (Holiness) and Charles H.
Mason who started the Church of God in Christ, among many other ministers
and political leaders.
THIS FAR BY FAITH is an in depth book about
African American History. In this day and age you can't really imagine being
in slavery or being told where you can sit, eat or drink. You realize how
strong we are as a people to overcome and endure such demeaning treatment.
And how our faith in God pulled us through then, and can pull us through
now. This is a MUST HAVE for every African American household.
Reviewed by Eraina B. Tinnin
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
Good book to learn the history of faith by African Americans, March
4, 2003
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Reviewer: An
Amazon.com Customer from Michigan |
In "This Far By Faith" Juan Williams and Quinton
Dixie illustrate the chronological progression and variations of faith
practiced by African Americans from the Middle Passage voyage to the 21st
century. The authors wonderfully explain various religions in a non-bias
manner. The term "cult" is never used to describe less popular or extreme
faiths. Every practiced faith is given equal validation for its worth.
"This Far By Faith" focuses on how blacks have
used faith to overcome hardship and become triumphant. The most compelling
aspect of the book is the leaders and their supporters. Repeatedly
throughout history, religious leaders have used faith to promote unity,
separatism, prosperity, education, nationalism, equality, humanity, etc
among their followers and in attempts to sway others toward the truth.
"This Far By Faith" Timeline:
· Religious tribal practices
· Slave masters reinforcing slavery through
Christianity
· Slaves acclimating to Christianity then forming black
Protestant churches, e.g. AME, so blacks would not be subservient
worshippers in the house of God
· The role that education played in further developing
the black church. The over-emphasis placed on the education lead to the
founding of COGIC
· The start and end to several short-lived
Christian-based followings.
· As people began to migrate north, new religious
figures with (believed) ties to Africa began to emerge. The rise of the
Moors and Muslims caused many blacks to rethink how Christianity was
introduced to them during Slavery
· The birth and rise of the Nation of Islam
· The role that black churches and the Nation of Islam
played during the civil rights movement.
· The movement or freedom for blacks to practice
"alternative" religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism
· Modern day black church impact on today's 18 - 34
year old worshippers.
· How the recent surfacing of the 5 per centers aim to
explain the state of people in society and faith
The progression is explored through short
stories (each chapter ~25 pages). Within the chapter there are gray page
stories or inserts to offset specific events, biographies and less familiar
religions. At times these mini stories were disruptive to the chapters
because they either spanned too many pages or didn't clearly relate to the
chapter.
Each chapter shows how individuals truly wanted
faith to promote social unity and growth within their own community. The
positive intentions to bring people closer to God or Allah and make their
secular life better resulted in further division among people. The history
of faith and social division are illustrated through the stories explaining
why society will never have one agreed upon religion and why there will
always be racial division among the same denomination within each
denomination.
My only complaint about "This Far By Faith" is
how the timeline is rushed or less researched after the height of the Civil
Rights movement. The authors provide extensive detail (maybe too much) on
the Nation of Islam, black churches, and specific activists during this era
but no detail is given to either faith's role in shaping the community or
its followers in the '70s and beyond. Black people's faith in God or Allah
did not stop with the Civil Rights movement! Subsequent chapters briefly
discuss other religions and excessively discuss Kirk Franklin's role in
promoting faith among young adults. The authors introduce the reader to the
5 per centers but fall short on clearly identifying the appearance in
society - maybe their existence is too short.
Overall, good book to easily understand and
learn the history of the various faiths practiced among African Americans.
Juan Williams brings his topic to life...as usual, February 28, 2003
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Reviewer: A reader
from Darnestown, MD United States |
Learning more about the depth of religious
experience in America was a pleasure. I recommend this book both for the
perhaps obvious reason--the history of the African-American Church in the
United States--but even more for the history of non-Christian religious life
which is growing and thriving yet probably is less understood. I await with
anticipation William's next project, whatever that chances to be.
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