Celebrate Lit / November 17, 2020

The Great Azusa Street Revival

About the Book The Great Azusa Street Revival

Book: The Great Azusa Street Revival

Author: William Seymour

Genre: Christian non-fiction

Release Date: October 16, 2020

A fascinating collection of the words and teachings of William Seymour in the years leading up to and including the historic Azusa Street Revival, which began in Los Angeles in 1906 before spreading across the country and creating the modern-day Pentecostal movement.

Includes historic accounts, eyewitness testimonies to the power of God, and photos capturing the multicultural, worldwide appeal of Seymour and his ministry, including his stirring sermons, which covered a wide range of topics that are still relevant to believers today. Compiled by Roberts Liardon, author of the bestselling God’s Generals series.

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My Thoughts on The Great Azusa Street Revival:

This is a non-fiction book. I had never heard of The Great Azusa Street Revival before and so wondered what the book was going to be about. I soon found out!

This is a well-written book that takes writings of someone from times past and pulls them together by someone the times present. So you still get some of the old fashioned sense of writing but in a more modern way if that makes sense.

This would make a great addition to a church library. The sermons are well written and easy to read. They are from his time period just before and during the revival so they’re passionate and powerful.

I definitely recommend this book as a great one for anyone to pick and read through. It’s not one that I’m going to binge read though. This is one you need to slowly read sermon by sermon or piece by piece so you can mull it over and chew on the meat.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author

William Seymour (1870–1922) was an African American, holiness preacher who initiated the Azusa Street Revival, an influential event in the rise of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. He was the second of eight children born to emancipated slaves and was raised in extreme poverty in Louisiana.

Seymour was a student of early Pentecostal minister Charles Parham, and he adopted Parham’s belief that speaking in tongues was the sign of receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

In 1906, Seymour moved to Los Angeles, California, where he preached the Pentecostal message and sparked a revival that drew large crowds of believers as well as increased media scrutiny about the controversial religious practices as well as the racially integrated worship services. Seymour’s leadership of the revival and publication of The Apostolic Faith newspaper launched him into prominence within the young Pentecostal movement.

As the revival’s influence extended beyond Los Angeles through evangelism and missionary work, Seymour was in the process of developing the revival into a larger organization called the Apostolic Faith Movement. This process was ultimately defeated by power struggles with other ministers and ultimately damaged the unity of the early Pentecostal movement and led to a decrease in Seymour’s influence.

By 1914, the revival was past its peak, but Seymour continued to pastor the Apostolic Faith Mission he founded until his death. The revival acted as a catalyst for the spread of Pentecostal practices, such as speaking in tongues and integrated worship, throughout the world. It also played an important role in the history of most major Pentecostal denominations.

More About William

The participants were criticized by some secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at the time. Today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century.