Black Fire: One Hundred Years of African American Pentecostalism

Estrelda Y. Alexander (Ph.D., The Catholic University of America) is a visiting professor of theology in the School of Divinity at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and executive director of the William Seymour Educational Foundation.

Dr. Alexander has gathered the major, minor, profound and pedestrian aspects of African American Holiness-Pentecostalism in a volume that seeks to provide a Rosetta stone for scholars, students, denominational historians and the general public. She is clear to state that this work is an endearing labor of love to articulate her experience as an African American Pentecostal worshiper, scholar and minister. This volume is the seedbed of a crop of readable studies in African American Holiness-Pentecostal history, theology and culture. A worthy investment in understanding the why, who, what and how of a century-old community of denominations linked to the book of Acts and 312 Azusa Street. Kudos!
-Dr. Ida E. Jones,
historian, Calvary Bible Institute and Moorland Spingarn Research Center, Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Black Fire offers an expansive historical overview of African American Holiness-Pentecostals and their often overlooked contributions to the early development, dissemination and current vitality of the modern Pentecostal movement from its inception to the present. Students and scholars of African American religion and culture will appreciate its rich content, as well as its nuanced attention to matters of race, class, gender and generation.
-Karen Kossie-Chernyshev,
Ph.D., professor of history, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas

Pentecostalism is one of the most vibrant and important developments in modern Christianity. In this welcome and much-needed book, Estrelda Y. Alexander demonstrates convincingly that this global work of the Spirit has to a large extent emerged from and continues to be fanned into flame by the African American community. Outsiders who think a few more controversial variations of 'black fire' sometimes look like 'strange fire' will be glad to learn that the African American church has able internal critics of its own outliers. Every Christian--indeed, everyone interested in the present and future of Christianity--needs to know this story.
-Timothy Larsen,
McManis Professor of Christian Thought, Wheaton College

This particular book is especially welcome. African American Pentecostals have become a major force in American (and world) Christianity, but there is a serious lack of well-documented studies. Estrelda Alexander does an excellent job filling that lamentable gap.
-Mark Noll,
Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame


Alexander, pastor and an associate professor of practical theology at Virginia's Regent University, has penned an exhaustive history of black Pentecostalism from its origins at the Azusa Street Revival (in L.A.)in 1906 (overshadowed by a massive earthquake in San Francisco the same year) to its contemporary manifestations in the churches of T.D. Jakes, Atlanta's recently controversial Eddie Long, and prosperity gospel preacher Creflo Dollar. The details and nuances of the centurylong span the book covers come alive when familiar names are addressed, but significant portions of the exposition are tedious and difficult to read. Some of the preacher and leader profiles highlighted in the smaller branches of Pentecostalism are revealing, but the schisms between trinitarian and oneness doctrines, along with the repetition of the emphasis on speaking in tongues, make for overly dense theological analysis. For a charismatic movement with so many colorful characters, this massive volume is more encyclopedic than dynamic. It is, however, as important and thorough as it is difficult to read. (June) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information.

"This book will provide its readers with a valuable overview of important monuments and figures from the past one hundred years. It presents a straightforward account of how African American Pentecostalism developed and changed over time. Because of the scope of this work, it will be helpful for general audiences who want to learn more about this topic or for use in an undergraduate course."

-- Monica Reed, H-Net Pentecostalism, May 2014

"Black Fire provides a much-needed narrative that completes, and at times corrects, the general histories of both American Christianity and the Pentecostal and charismatic movements."

-- William Purinton, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Vol. 36, No. 2

"This particular book is especially welcome. African American Pentecostals have become a major force in American (and world) Christianity, but there is a serious lack of well-documented studies. Estrelda Alexander does an excellent job filling that lamentable gap."

-- Mark Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame

"Pentecostalism is one of the most vibrant and important developments in modern Christianity. In this welcome and much-needed book, Estrelda Y. Alexander demonstrates convincingly that this global work of the Spirit has to a large extent emerged from and continues to be fanned into flame by the African American community. Outsiders who think a few more controversial variations of 'black fire' sometimes look like 'strange fire' will be glad to learn that the African American church has able internal critics of its own outliers. Every Christian--indeed, everyone interested in the present and future of Christianity--needs to know this story."

-- Timothy Larsen, McManis Professor of Christian Thought, Wheaton College

"Black Fire offers an expansive historical overview of African American Holiness-Pentecostals and their often overlooked contributions to the early development, dissemination and current vitality of the modern Pentecostal movement from its inception to the present. Students and scholars of African American religion and culture will appreciate its rich content, as well as its nuanced attention to matters of race, class, gender and generation."

-- Karen Kossie-Chernyshev, Ph.D., professor of history, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas

"Dr. Alexander has gathered the major, minor, profound and pedestrian aspects of African American Holiness-Pentecostalism in a volume that seeks to provide a Rosetta stone for scholars, students, denominational historians and the general public. She is clear to state that this work is an endearing labor of love to articulate her experience as an African American Pentecostal worshiper, scholar and minister. This volume is the seedbed of a crop of readable studies in African American Holiness-Pentecostal history, theology and culture. A worthy investment in understanding the why, who, what and how of a century-old community of denominations linked to the book of Acts and 312 Azusa Street. Kudos!"

-- Dr. Ida E. Jones, historian, Calvary Bible Institute and Moorland Spingarn Research Center, Howard University, Washington, D.C.

"Alexander is one of the few historians of black Pentecostalism who have attempted to synthesize the story of black Pentecostalism within one volume. This is a very challenging task that she does exceptionally well given the myriad number of black Pentecostal denominations. Her work is a first of its kind and a timely, valuable resource for students and scholars of African American religion in general and African American Pentecostalism in particular."

-- Jonathan Langston Chism, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 42, No. 4, December 2016