Black itinerants of the Gospel : the narratives of John Jea and George White /

These autobiographical narratives of two free African Americans--itinerant preachers in the post-Revolutionary era--offer the reader a rare glimpse into the liberating theology of freed Northern slaves as they sought to understand their new position in Northern society and in Methodist Christianity. In his introduction, Hodges (Colgate Univ.) breathes life into the narratives by placing them in the tumultuous context of their times and illuminating their importance in the tradition of African American autobiography. While remaining true to the format of the original printings, Hodges offers both the scholar and the interested reader a well-documented work, providing a wealth of bibliographical citations. This volume is invaluable in exposing the lives of relatively obscure itinerant preachers in contrast to the highly visible ministers like Richard Allen. Essential for all collections.-- John B. Wright, Brigham Young Univ. Lib., Provo, Utah (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.