Like many white American Pentecostals, I know very little about my African American co-religionists. I know about William Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival, of course. I am aware of the Church of God in Christ, which is the largest Pentecostal denomination in America. And as an Assemblies of God minister, I am familiar with my own denomination’s struggle with racism. But beyond these items, my knowledge of black Pentecostalism is negligible.
Or, rather, was until Estrelda Y. Alexander’s Black Fire introduced me to the rich history and spirituality of African American Pentecostals. I learned from her how Pentecostalism’s characteristically exuberant worship drew on the rhythms of African spirituality. I learned the vital role the Holiness movement played in the formation of black Pentecostalism. Her chapter on William J. Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival is the best one-chapter summary of that pivotal moment in Pentecostal history I have read. I discovered how influential Oneness Pentecostalism is in the black community. I grew to appreciate the struggles my co-religionists have faced not only in predominantly white denominations but also in forming predominantly black denominations. And Alexander’s book sensitized me to the double discrimination African American women faced in becoming leaders because of both their color and their sex.
I heartily recommend Black Fire to anyone interested in the history of American Pentecostalism. If you do not understand the vital role that African Americans have played both in leading this movement and in populating its churches and ministries, then you simply have not understood the movement. Alexander’s book is thoroughly documented, contains two brief bibliographies (or primary and secondary sources), as well as name and subject indices. It is useful, therefore, to readers who want a one-volume introduction to the subject as well as to students who would like to do further research but are unsure where to start.
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