The Gospel according to James Baldwin | What America’s Great Prophet Can Teach Us about Life, Love, and Identity | Greg Garrett

Garrett followed in Baldwin’s footsteps—from New York City to the American South, from the cafes of St.-Germain in Paris to the mountains of Switzerland, where Baldwin did some of his most important thinking and writing. Garrett consulted critical and cultural studies, as well as archival materials from the recently-inaugurated Baldwin Collection at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. Out of this close study of Baldwin’s words and legacy, Garrett invites new readers and longtime lovers of the great Black writer into a thoughtful exploration of his continued relevance.

“Though Baldwin died almost fifty years ago, Garrett’s book reminds us that his prophetic voice and vision are still alive and still prescient, still challenging us to become the people we claim to be, still pointing the way to an America we might yet become: a land where cruelty and selfishness are abhorred, and compassion and community, even curiosity and kindness are valued. A land where we listen with love, encourage with hope and make room for all, because all are welcome. This book is highly recommended for seminary and parish libraries.” - Herman Sutter, Catholic Library World

Greg Garrett is, according to BBC Radio, one of America’s essential voices on religion and culture. His work has been featured in media ranging from National Public Radio and The New Statesman to FOX News and The National Review, from Christianity Today and The Christian Century to Playboy and Men’s Health. Greg is co-founder and co-curator of the Long Long Way Film Festival at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, exploring racism and reconciliation through the lens of Hollywood film, and of Scene and Unseen, a similar program on race and film at Trinity Church, Wall Street. Professor of English at Baylor University, Greg has been a visiting fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Religion and Culture and serves each summer as Theologian in Residence at American Cathedral in Paris.