Shoutin' in the Fire

Book Description

In a world where faith and identity collide, Danté Stewart offers a profound exploration of what it means to pursue authentic spirituality while navigating the painful realities of racial injustice. Shoutin' in the Fire chronicles Stewart's transformative journey from rising leader in a predominantly white evangelical church to discovering a more liberating understanding of faith.

When Stewart stepped into his role as the first Black preacher at his Augusta, Georgia congregation in 2016, he anticipated breaking barriers and growing his influence. Instead, he encountered something far more challenging. As political tensions rose, conversations in the pews revealed deep-seated hostility and microaggressions toward Black Americans, leaving Stewart and his family feeling profoundly isolated within their own faith community.

This painful awakening becomes the catalyst for Stewart's spiritual reckoning. Drawing wisdom from influential voices like James H. Cone, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison, he embarks on a journey to reclaim virtues such as rage, resilience, and remembrance as acts of love against an unjust world. Through deeply personal reflection, Stewart examines how white supremacy operates both systemically and internally, while seeking to understand the paradoxical humility of Jesus.

The result is an intimate meditation on coming of age during turbulent times, revealing how authentic faith can emerge even from the violence of institutional religion. Stewart discovers a spirituality that celebrates Blackness, confronts trauma with truth, and pursues genuine love that liberates rather than constrains.