Daddy Grace: A Celebrity Preacher and His House of Prayer (Religion, Race & Ethnicity) (Religion, Race and Ethnicity)
Charles Manuel Sweet Daddy Grace founded the United House of Prayer for All People in Wareham, Massachusetts in 1919. This charismatic church has been regarded as one of the most extreme Pentecostal sects in the country. In addition to attention-getting maneuvers such as wearing purple suits with glitzy jewelry, purchasing high profile real estate, and conducting baptisms in city streets with a fire hose, the flamboyant Grace reputedly accepted massive donations from his poverty-stricken followers and used the money to live lavishly. It was assumed by many that Grace was the charismatic glue that held his church together, and that once he was gone the institution would disintegrate. Instead, following his 1960 death there was a period of confusion, restructuring, and streamlining. Today the House of Prayer remains an active church with a national membership in the tens of thousands.
Daddy Grace: A Celebrity Preacher and His House of Prayer seriously examines the religious nature of the House of Prayer, the dimensions of Graces leadership strategies, and the connections between his often ostentatious acts and the intentional infrastructure of the House of Prayer. Furthermore, woven through the text are analyses of the race, class, and gender issues manifest in the House of Prayer structure under Graces aegis.
Marie W. Dallam here offers both a religious history of the House of Prayer as an institution and an intellectual history of its colorful and enigmatic leader.
Customer Review: An outstanding must read book for all who really want to understand the House of Prayer and it's founder Bishop "Daddy" Grace
Marie Dallam's book "Daddy Grace: A Celebrity Preacher and his House of Prayer" is an outstanding, well written and well researched book. This is the first objective scholarly analysis of Daddy Grace and the House of Prayer that clearly explains the origins of many of the House of Prayer practices and customs and attempts to delve into who Daddy Grace was as a person.
It has been over 40 years since the death of Daddy Grace, yet there still many myths and misunderstandings about Daddy Grace and the House of Prayer. Many view Daddy Grace as a cult leader or sometimes confuse him with Father Divine. Dallam clearly and concisely explains why the House of Prayer should not be classified as a cult and explains the distinctions between the House of Prayer and the Church founded by Father Divine.
For members, this book is a must read, if you want to have a sound understanding of our founding father, the evolution of the House of Prayer, and to become aware of certain organizational areas that need improvement. More importantly, I think the book will help all members understand that we have a rich heritage that we should be proud of and that we must work to continually enhance all aspects of our faith.
Elder E.C. Smith, Member of the United House of Prayer for All People, Washington, D.C.
Customer Review: Great
I received my books in a few days. They were brand new with no surprises.
