In 2008, I had the pleasure of meeting Cleophus LaRue and hearing him preach at the National Nazarene Black Conference in Orlando, Florida. And all I have to say is, this is a ‘baaad’ (meaning good) brotha. He has the ability to unpretentiously grasp and hold one’s attention with his sermon. So I was delighted to read his book, The Heart of Black Preaching,and get to indulge some more in his candor.

The Heart of Black Preaching addresses the basic principles of black preaching and, as stated by LaRue in the introduction, the book shows “that there is in powerful black preaching a distinctive, biblical hermeneutic that when identified and understood can provide meaningful insights into the preaching that commonly occurs in the traditional black religious experience” (LaRue, 1). After reading the book, I’d say he accomplished his purpose. Throughout the book, there is a recurring theme: black preaching is powerful and has always been a major part of the African American Christian church history. The collection of sermons from different genres that he presents illustrates the distinctiveness of black preaching.

In chapter 1, "The Search for Distinctiveness in Black Preaching," LaRue presents what he believes makes Black preaching unique. His main position is that: “the black sermon has as its goal the creation of a meaningful connection between an all-powerful God and a marginalized and powerless people” (LaRue, 19). He lays out patterns throughout the chapter in support of his position. For example, he maintains that black preaching is strong in Biblical content, uses creative language, appeals to the emotions and subscribes to ministerial authority among other characteristics (LaRue, 9-11). He also emphasizes the Dynamics of a Black Hermeneutic. This includes such components as the Domains of Experience, i.e. personal piety, care of the soul, social justice, corporate concerns and maintenance of the Institutional church (LaRue, 20-24).

In chapter 2 "The Power Motif in Nineteenth-Century African American Sermons," LaRue sets out to prove through sermons of five, 19th century preachers that black preaching is powerful and distinct. For example, John Japser’s “The Sun do Move” is based on a narrative genre and illustrates throughout that God is indeed a mighty liberator and defender. On the other hand, the sermon “The Destined Superiority of the Negro” by Alexander Crummell employs the principles of destruction and restoration. It is also noticeable that the sermons all have a political slant.

LaRue continues to assert the theme of power in chapter three, "A Hermeneutic of Power in Contemporary African American Sermons." This time, he shifts to the sermons of modern day power-house black preachers: Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., Katie G. Cannon, and Carolyn Ann Knight, to name a few, to prove that the biblical hermeneutic and the black hermeneutic are synonymous.

Chapter four, "The Basic Dynamics of the African American Sermon” serves as a guide to the minister who wishes to learn or enhance his or her technique in the preparation and delivery of the sermon in an African American/Black context. LaRue adamantly contends:

Powerful black preaching speaks forth the things of God…the key to the powerful black sermon that consistently strikes a chord in the hearts of the listening congregation is simple yet profound: the sermon must be about God! It must bring the listener to some understanding of who God is and what God is about (LaRue, 115).

He barely scanned the themes of the “Black Socio-cultural Context" and "Varieties of Black Experience.” I think he could have said a bit more on these issues.

In my opinion, the sermons in the appendix are some of the ‘baaaddest’ (meaning good) I’ve ever read. In reading these sermons I get a visual picture of the sitz-em-leben of African American/Black culture. I found myself getting very animated as I read them. My favorites were Jeremiah Wright’s: “What Makes You So Strong,” Fred C. Lofton's: “Bad Black Dude on the Road,” and Carolyn Ann Knight’s “If Thou Be a Great People.”

What LaRue has managed to do in this prolific masterpiece is demonstrate to the reading public that indeed, Black preaching is perhaps the most powerful form of preaching. He proves that black preaching has been around from the inception of the African American church, and it is vital to the Black community. Black Preaching is here to stay, it’s not a fad. Its distinctiveness continues to be evident particularly in contemporary African American faith communities. In Black preaching, LaRue identifies a consistent connection between those stories of God's active love and God's present call to our life’s experiences.

I was not raised in the African American church; I was raised in the Afro-Caribbean protestant church by virtue of spending my early years living in different Caribbean countries. There is a slight difference in the black hermeneutic of the Afro-Caribbean culture I was exposed to, perhaps mainly because of the influence of white missionaries who ‘brought’ a different concept of God and fed it to us. Though both African Americans and Afro-Caribbean people share the same struggle of oppression and dehumanization by whites, the preaching I was exposed to did not emphasize the kind of dynamism I see emphasized in African American preaching. The celebration/singing aspect was and perhaps still is prominent, but I can’t say the preaching was the same in the context I was exposed to. LaRue’s book was informative, empowering, and very beneficial to my understanding of Black Preaching. As one who has been preaching for 12 years (I have preached to various races and currently preach to a 100% white congregation), the content of this book will significantly enhance my approach to preaching, not just the black sermon, but more generally, the Word of God.

I applause LaRue for two outstanding things:
1.) Establishing and maintaining that the dynamism of Black preaching is connected to the story of salvation evident throughout Biblical history as well as the story and experience of African American/Black history.
2.) For inviting the reader to witness an aspect of preaching that is truly dynamic, truly sincere, truly distinctive and truly God-centered.

In my humble opinion, LaRue’s book can be used beyond the Black context. The content is that good, and everyone can learn something from it. As the movie critics say about movies, I’ll say about this book: Two Thumbs way up!