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Practical Virtues: Everyday Values and Devotions for African American Families
As pastor of a church of more than fifteen thousand congregants, a former congressman, and president of one of the country's most respected black colleges, the Reverend Floyd Flake is frequently sought after by those in need of guidance. Now, with Practical Virtues , he and his wife, A.M.E. co-pastor Elaine McCollins Flake, have gathered their favorite stories, letters, hymns, narratives, and poems into a single, indispensable collection and paired them with spiritual exercises for the soul. Beautifully designed, with each of the twelve chapters devoted to a single virtue -- Courage, Diligence, Faith, Forbearance, Forgiveness, Honesty, Love, Loyalty, Prudence, Responsibility, Service, and Trustworthiness -- Practical Virtues is a heartfelt, inspiring gift the Flakes have given to all African American families.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2003
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October 14, 2009
Practical Virtues is a wonderful collection of biblical parables, classic excerpts and quotations from slaves and prominent political, social, and literary giants. It addresses the age old question, "How Are We To Live?" by offering practical "living virtues with soul," i.e., those that reflect core values that can be acted upon in daily life and are centered on God and biblical teachings.
The book centers on twelve basic virtues: Courage, Diligence, Faith, Forbearance, Forgiveness, Honesty, Love, Loyalty, Prudence, Responsibility, Service, Trustworthiness. Each section defines the virtue in layman's terms, synopsizes its importance and relevance in our lives, and provides 5-10 excerpts with constructive tips on how to exercise the virtue following the examples outlined in the passages. The book cites works of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Anita Hill, Nella Larson, Asha Bandele, Gwendolyn Brooks, Colin Powell, Chester Himes, Rosa Parks, Arthur Ashe, Ann Petry, J. California Cooper, and countless others.
I enjoyed and benefited from both the spiritual/moralistic vibe and the historical facets of the book. I learned a lot regarding African American history, social movement, and challenges -- this book encouraged me to research specific topics further. This is an impressive anthology (even though that was not the intent of the authors) that demonstrates that the faith of our ancestors moved mountains, love sustained them, and biblical and yesteryear wisdom and observations are still relevant and applicable in modern times.
The book centers on twelve basic virtues: Courage, Diligence, Faith, Forbearance, Forgiveness, Honesty, Love, Loyalty, Prudence, Responsibility, Service, Trustworthiness. Each section defines the virtue in layman's terms, synopsizes its importance and relevance in our lives, and provides 5-10 excerpts with constructive tips on how to exercise the virtue following the examples outlined in the passages. The book cites works of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Anita Hill, Nella Larson, Asha Bandele, Gwendolyn Brooks, Colin Powell, Chester Himes, Rosa Parks, Arthur Ashe, Ann Petry, J. California Cooper, and countless others.
I enjoyed and benefited from both the spiritual/moralistic vibe and the historical facets of the book. I learned a lot regarding African American history, social movement, and challenges -- this book encouraged me to research specific topics further. This is an impressive anthology (even though that was not the intent of the authors) that demonstrates that the faith of our ancestors moved mountains, love sustained them, and biblical and yesteryear wisdom and observations are still relevant and applicable in modern times.
Displaying 1 of 1 review