William J. Seymour and the Origins of Global Pentecostalism: A Biography and Documentary History

This is an excellent, thoroughgoing, and objective reading on the life of William J. Seymour and the impact the Asuza revival had on Pentecostalism. Espinoza includes documentations of Seymour's writings, favorable and unfavorable eyewitness accounts including critical newspaper reports, testimonies of missionaries from various countries sent by the Seymour during the revival, and, finally, writings of Charles Parham.I would recommend, along with this book, to also read:– William J. Seymour: Pioneer of the Azusa Street Revival, by Synan & Fox, Jr.– Life an Ministry of William J. Seymour, by Larry E. Martin.- Azusa Stree Mission and Revival, by Cecil M. Robeck, Jr.- William J. Seymour: A Biography, by Craig Broilers

I greatly enjoyed and was astonished by this book. I began reading the work with absolutely no idea of what I would find, completely ignorant of the history of the movement despite being myself Spirit-filled. The richness of the truth is nothing short of revelatory, and I have hence bought two copies of this book to share in my law office (rave reviews all around). I'm hoping an audiobook companion will be coming soon.This is a very fairly written book, with copious primary sources showing all sides of the issue. Though the subject matter is dense, the author presents the materials coherently and without pretension. I found it an enjoyable read, rejoicing along the way by the truth revealed, warts and all.For anyone studying race in America, this is a must-read. For any Christian today, of any doctrinal background, this is a must-read. For anyone else, this is still a must-read.

This is an excellent book about the life of William J. Seymour based on extensive research. I have read a number of books about Seymour and this is the first book to deal honestly and factually with the controversy about Seymour and Parham. This book is a much read for anyone wanting an unbiased perspective about the Seymour and Pentecostalism.

This is the single best resource for teaching or learning about early Pentecostal history currently available. I highly recommend its use in classrooms or for anyone looking for an academic history of early Pentecostalism grounded in a wide array of sources.

I had to buy this book for a Pentecostalism seminar at the University of Texas at Austin. The book is OK. Some of it is very good and informative. But some of the sources are not as accurate. This presents somewhat of an uneven quality to the book. Luckily, I had a very knowledgeable professor leading the seminar and could help us distinguish the good from the bad. On the more positive side, its difficult to find sources on this topic. So this still may be your best bet.

Outstanding historical history of the holiness-Pentecostal movement of which most of its members know very little

Excellent bio of Seymour and origins of Pentecostalism, as well as primary-source documents.