MOVE: An American Religion

— —

Richard Kent Evans (Research Associate, Quaker Studies, Research Associate, Quaker Studies, Haverford College)

MOVE

An American Religion

Richard Kent Evans (Research Associate, Quaker Studies, Research Associate, Quaker Studies, Haverford College)

$168.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Oxford University Press Inc
15 July 2020

Christian & quasi-Christian cults & sects; Religious institutions & organisations; Urban communities; Black & Asian studies

"What is a religion? That is the question that Richard Kent Evans attempts to answer in this book. He does so through the story of MOVE, a little-known group with a fascinating story. MOVE emerged in Philadelphia in the early 1970s. It was a small, mostly African American group devoted to the teachings of John Africa. In 1985, the Philadelphia Police Department -- working in concert with federal and state law enforcement -- attacked a home that ""MOVE people"" as they preferred to be known, shared in West Philadelphia. Hundreds of police officers and firefighters laid siege to the building using tear gas, ten thousand rounds of ammunition, and improvised explosives. Most infamously, a police officer riding in a helicopter dropped a bomb containing C-4 explosives, which he had acquired from the FBI, onto the roof of the MOVE house. The bomb started a fire, which officials allowed to spread in hopes of chasing the MOVE people out of the house. Police officers fired upon those who tried to escape the flames. Eleven MOVE people died in the attack, including John Africa. Five of those who died were children.

In this book, Richard Kent Evans tells the story of MOVE -- a story that has been virtually lost outside of Philadelphia. What was MOVE? Many MOVE members thought of themselves as belonging to a religion, and they sought legal recognition. But to others, including other religious groups like the Quakers and, more importantly, the courts, MOVE was anything but a religion. Evans dives deep into how we decide what constitutes a genuine religious tradition, and the enormous consequences of that decision."

By: Richard Kent Evans (Research Associate Quaker Studies Research Associate Quaker Studies Haverford College)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 160mm, Width: 236mm, Spine: 33mm
Weight: 522g
ISBN: 9780190058777
ISBN 10: 0190058773
Pages: 300
Publication Date: 15 July 2020
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction 1. Conversions 2. Belief and Practice 3. Progress 4. Pastoral Power 5. Policing Religion 6. Religion on Trial 7. Building a Cult 8. Innocence 9. Unthinkable Conclusion

Richard Kent Evans received his PhD in North American Religions from Temple University in 2018. He is Research Associate in Quaker Studies at Haverford College and Adjunct Professor of History at The College of New Jersey.

Reviews for MOVE: An American Religion

"""Groundbreaking... Evansâs chronicle of MOVE's history is both sorely needed and hauntingly timely."" -- Megan Goodwin, The Revealer ""[A] compelling and rich narrative...The book engages political theology, sociology of religion, race and religion, American religious history, and new religious movements. Evans engages questions on ethics, theology, philosophy of religion, and power. As such, a multitude of audiences, both academic and popular, will find the book attractive. I suspect MOVE will become a staple text in several spaces that seek to grapple with big questions related to religion and civil society."" -- Sociology of Religion"