This Far by Faith CD : Stories from the African-American Religious Experience

Rating:
Summary: The Power of Faith
Review: 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 indepth 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

Rating:
Summary: Good book to learn the history of faith by African Americans
Review: 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 percenters 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 percenters 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.

Rating:
Summary: Juan Williams brings his topic to life...as usual
Review: 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.