RIGHTEOUS RICHES: The Word of Faith Movement in Contemporary African American Religion

This debut is an engaging ethnographic account of the Word of Faith movement, a loosely affiliated group of nondenominational churches that embrace a hodge-podge of New Thought, evangelicalism and Pentecostalism. Harrison, a former Word of Faith adherent, introduces readers to several members of the movement as if he were (and in many cases, he is) introducing old friends. He describes his first informant, Cassandra, as someone he has "known for many years... an extroverted, gregarious person with a great sense of humor... [who] would not hold back in terms of what she thought." This personal touch, in keeping with Harrison's desire to write a "straightforward, clear" book, is refreshing and will appeal to a wide audience. Not as illuminating are Harrison's analyses, which often feel as though they could apply to any conservative religious movement. He does give fascinating insights into the tradition's emphasis on Christian prosperity, but only skims the surface of its complicated relationship to the idea of progress and, most regrettably, largely neglects its relationship to the African-American community. He does address these topics, but only briefly, and mostly in concluding thoughts that should have been expounded earlier. Still, Harrison delivers an informative, readable introduction to a little-known but very influential religious movement. (Mar.)