“A wonderful example of the best of comparative religious history.” — Religious Studies Review
“Essential reading for anyone who hopes to understand the character of black people and, by virtue of that, the American spirit as well. Balanced in every respect, rich in research, James Campbell’s history of the AME Church on two continents is a major contribution to the literature of the African diaspora.” — Charles Johnson, author of Middle Passage
“The definitive account of the most important institutional connection between African Americans and black South Africans.” — George Fredrickson, Stanford University
“A major contribution to a genre just beginning to appear, what one can only call transatlantic history. . . . Campbell has produced a sprawling history, impressive not only in its breadth and depth of research, but in the graceful prose and absolute authority it brings to a host of topics. . . . Remarkably free of jargon, political moralizing, and ideological prescriptions, Songs of Zion stands as a major contribution to the emerging history of the Black Atlantic in all its ambiguity and richness.” — Transition
“A sweeping, powerful, vibrant study. . . . By turns, this is a heroic and tragic story — one that will introduce both South African and American historians to dimensions of their histories that they barely know. Campbell’s analysis of this complex transatlantic encounter should inspire all those who appreciate the richness of breaking the boundaries of compartmentalized history.” — Frederick Jackson Turner Award committee
“Campbell’s analysis is illuminating, important and in some ways courageous. . . . [His] innovative treatment of transatlantic connections stands out as a historically grounded approach to the study of . . . the 'Black Atlantic.'” — American Historical Review
“Prodigiously researched, well crafted, and insightful.” — Journal of American History
“A must for scholars and students interested in black nationalism, the AME Church, and race relations. Songs of Zion serves as a magnificent blueprint for comparative study on the AME Church in the United States and South Africa.” — History: Reviews of New Books
“One can only marvel at Campbell’s command of both countries' histories.” — South African Business Day
“James T. Campbell’s Songs of Zion should rank as the most significant work in African-American religious history to appear since Albert Raboteau’s 1979 classic Slave Religion.” — History Book Reviews On-Line
