Filling a need not previously addressed, African American Church Growth contends that it is the prophetic consciousness which appeals to many blacks of the post-civil rights era, and that emphasis on the prophetic will help bring the black church out of the disillusionment of a "post-civil rights malaise."

Carlyle Fielding Stewart defines prophetic ministry as a concern for wholeness of the individual and community. Going beyond a simple call for social justice, the author addresses both spiritual and social tyrannies, within and without the church, that preclude church...

Explore the unique art of African-American preaching, in which storytelling is a pivotal element. In addition to an astute overview, Stewart includes many captivating sermons.

Jesus was so marred and unbeautiful that those who were like him were drawn to him, and he changed their lives forever. There was something about the blemished visage and form of Jesus that compelled these people to identify with him. Carlyle Stewart suggests that the common depiction of Jesus as handsome and attractive is mistaken, and that first century Christians knew Jesus to be plain, even ugly. Yet our "marred but magnificent messiah" is the source of hope, power, physical healing, and spiritual renewal.
Stewart brings his keen intellect and perceptive eye for contemporary life to...

"Sometimes we limp between doubt and certainty between assurance and confusion, between realism and surrealism in our spiritual journey... The prophetic task is to cut through the machinations, doubts, and deception created by spiritual ambiguity. The experiences of Elijah, Elisha, and Amos shared in this book of sermons are lessons for the people of God and the church today."
-- from the Preface
Stewart's messages focus on the prophetic dimension of preaching: calling the people back to God, calling them to personal and social transformation, and exhorting them to human wholeness....