For God and race
Book Description
This compelling biography illuminates the remarkable life of James Walker Hood, a towering figure whose spiritual leadership became inseparable from his fight for racial equality. Sandy Dwayne Martin brings to light the previously overlooked public career of Hood, who served as bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church from 1831 to 1918, spanning some of America's most turbulent decades.
Hood represents a generation of pioneering religious leaders who refused to separate their devotion to God from their commitment to justice. Through his work within the AMEZ Church, a denomination that distinguished itself by nurturing leaders for the abolitionist cause, Hood demonstrated how authentic faith demands action against oppression.
Martin's research reveals how Hood and his contemporaries built independent Black Christian institutions that served as both spiritual sanctuaries and launching pads for social transformation. These leaders understood that true religious conviction required confronting the injustices of their time, making their churches powerful forces for both personal salvation and collective liberation.
For readers seeking to understand how spirituality and social justice intersect, this biography offers profound insights into a leader who embodied the principle that serving God means serving humanity's highest aspirations. Hood's story challenges contemporary believers to examine how their own faith calls them to engage with the pressing issues of their era.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~7 hours)
📄 Length: 248 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Biography
- ✓ Explore Religieuze leiders
- ✓ Explore Histoire
- ✓ Explore Abolitionisme
- ✓ Explore Biographies
- ✓ Explore African American clergy
- ✓ Explore Clergé noir américain
- ✓ Explore Zion Christian Church
