“A superb account of one man’s 50-year fight for human rights and freedom in America. Recommended for those interested in the U.S. Middle Period, Civil War, African American history, and all readers.” — Library Journal, starred review
“D. H. Dilbeck does a very fine job assessing and then discussing the importance of the black prophetic voice to this reformer and Christian activist.” — Spirituality & Practice
“Dilbeck has produced a religious biography that sheds light on the sacred sources of a well-known public career.” — CHOICE
“In this concise biography, D.H. Dilbeck focuses on the development of Frederick Douglas’s prophetic Christianity and its 'core theological convictions' as integral to his political activism.”—Journal of the Civil War Era
“Although his early religious interests are usually missing from most accounts, in Frederick Douglass: America’s Prophet Dilbeck insists that 'Douglass held fast to the Christian faith his entire adult life.'”—Claremont Review of Books
“Offers a religiously oriented study—not a conventional biography—of Frederick Douglass, emphasizing the pervasive importance of Christianity in his life and thought. . . . Compact and attractively written.”—Journal of American History
“In America’s Prophet, Dilbeck shows a more radical side of Douglass, who relied on the teachings of Christ to fight the immoral practices of slavery. . . . In looking at Douglass' life encounters with domestic and international clergy, Dilbeck vividly displays his frustration with their complicit reaction to the denial of blacks' civil and human rights. He shines a great light on another aspect of Douglass as one of America’s prophets.”—Reading Religion
“Undertakes the difficult project of bringing coherence to the seldom related spiritual narratives, biblical language, and religious symbolism in Douglass' speeches and writings. . . . A significant contribution.”—Journal of Church and State
“A satisfying and thorough exploration of Douglass’s prophetic Christianity.” — Paul Harvey, author of Freedom’s Coming
“An original and often moving account of a complex but endlessly interesting figure, a giant in his time who still speaks to Americans today. Dilbeck has treated Douglass’s religious faith and prophetic character more carefully than any previous scholar.” — George C. Rable, author of God’s Almost Chosen Peoples
