Customer Reviews (1)

A Living Legacy
Bishop Walls' book, The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church: Reality of the Black Church, is the perennial guide and standard for church history. In this book, Walls presents a comprehensive and detailed history of the A.M.E. Zion Church from its founding to the late 20th century. It is thoroughly researched and cited, satisfying the academic as well as the parishioner. Aside from its historical value, Walls' writing style is engaging and captivating, drawing the reader into the past as if experiencing the present. Though not explicit nor intended, this book serves as a living legacy that challenges and inspires dedicated churchmen. This is a must-own book for every minister, religion student and A.M.E. Zion Church member. ... Read more

Book Description
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Newburgh, New York has the unique distinction of being the church in the birth place of its denominational founder, James Varick.This history of this church proves to be a remarkable account of endurance and survival imbued with a spirit of holiness, forgiveness, generosity, and strength.Its members have overcome racial discrimination and emerged as a strong and vibrant community dedicated to serving God by serving others.Dr. Janet Denise Jones details this inspirational church's history in Varick's Newburgh: History of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Newburgh, New York 1827-2001. ... Read more

Product Description
623 pages excluding extensive index. History of denomination from 1972-1996. ... Read more

Book Description
Founded by free people of color in Philadelphia in the aftermath of the American Revolution, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church emerged in the nineteenth century as the preeminent black institution in the United States. In 1896, the church opened mission work in South Africa, absorbing an independent "Ethiopian" church founded by dissident African Christians a few years earlier. In the process, the church helped ignite one of the most influential popular movements in South African history.

Songs of Zion examines this remarkable historical convergence from both sides of the Atlantic. James Campbell charts the origins and evolution of black American independent churches, arguing that the very act of becoming Christian forced African Americans to reflect on their relationship to their ancestral continent. He then turns to South Africa, exploring the AME Church's entrance and evolution in a series of specific South African contexts. Throughout the book, Campbell focuses on the comparisons that Africans and African Americans themselves drew between their situations. Their transatlantic encounter, he argues, enabled both groups to understand and act upon their worlds in new ways. ... Read more