In his second book, Kenyatta R. Gilbert continues his effort to revive and restore the rich tradition of black preaching through analysis of the strengths of exemplary preachers who responded with insight and power in their contexts of ministry and crisis. The pivotal argument of A Pursued Justice pulls together social change and ecclesial response in the early twentieth century. The social upheaval of the Great Migration of southern, rural blacks brought new challenges for ministry to the established black churches in northern industrial cities. Gilbert identifies a crucial transformational response in prophetic preaching that elucidated the new social moment with the Exodus story and its implications concerning justice for the oppressed. Constant new arrivals in need of basics such as housing, jobs, food, and friendship exposed the continuing systemic oppression present not only in the South, but in the North as well, calling forth a Christian response of prophetic preaching and leadership.
Gilbert identifies three preaching exemplars in the process of describing the birth of a tradition of prophetic preaching that would grow in influence to become foundational for the well-known preaching of the civil rights era and beyond. Reverdy Cassius Ransom served AME churches in Chicago, Boston, and New York, and his innovations of ministry to address the needs of migrants have had far-reaching influence. Florence Spearing Randolph brought holiness influences to her leadership in the AME Zion denomination and through many successful pastorates gained a reputation as an advocate for the poor and for women's rights. Adam Clayton Powell Sr. served many years with the Abyssinian Baptist Church, innovating in many ways to respond to the needs of the migrants arriving steadily in New York.
Examining the preaching of these three, Gilbert arrives at an Exodus model of prophetic preaching that (1) exposes social evil, (2) envisions a better world, (3) empowers people toward just praxis, and (4) invokes beauty in speech and perception (68). The remainder of the book aims to locate a continuation of this tradition through the era of civil rights preaching, analyzing sermons from several notable preachers across the remainder of the twentieth century and into the current time.
Gilbert sets out to accomplish a great deal in a brief book. The opening chapters seek to provide historical context for the post-emancipation era and the eventual black migrations to the North. The presentation of trends and stories is topical and sometimes moves back and forth across time periods rather than holding to a tight linear presentation of details. This approach has its advantages and disadvantages, although the overall effect provides a good impression of the social context and times that gave rise to the Great Migration.
The core analysis of the three exemplary preachers sheds light on Gilbert's argument but seems too brief. Examining more sermons from each preacher would help to make the case that in these figures a specific style of preaching was emerging. As Gilbert moves on from Ransom, Randolph, and Powell to identify heirs of their preaching style, again the brevity of argument does not help his case. More attention to the next generation of preachers, with more specific links between their preaching and the Great Migration innovators, would make a plausible argument more solid. Perhaps the last section, “Post-Civil Rights Sermons” (120ff.), could have been omitted for the sake of expanding the examination of sermons by Ransom, Randolph, and Powell and those he identifies as their heirs.
Gilbert's book will be useful for seminary study and for pastors who engage in lifelong learning. In addition to Gilbert's interesting thesis and analysis of preaching in context, the book contains numerous sermon texts for reading and study. One could use it as a topical or companion text in a preaching class for these reasons. Chapter 3, which sketches the framework for Exodus preaching, could be a useful assignment for comparison of homiletical methods. Chapter 4, which examines sermons of Ransom, Randolph, and Powell, provides useful case studies. Gilbert's overall approach to emphasize the centrality of contextual analysis for effective preaching is a message valuable to all who prepare for ministry.
