MOVE: An American Religion

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Richard Evans (Executive Director, Executive Director, The Alabama Writers' Forum)

MOVE

Name: MOVE
Price: 55.95 AUD
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ISBN: 9780197839065

An American Religion

Richard Evans (Executive Director, Executive Director, The Alabama Writers' Forum)

$55.95

Paperback

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English

Oxford University Press Inc
01 January 2026

Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000; Christian institutions & organisations; Ethnic minorities & multicultural 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 Evans (Executive Director Executive Director The Alabama Writers' Forum)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 157mm, Spine: 3mm
Weight: 386g
ISBN: 9780197839065
ISBN 10: 0197839061
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 01 January 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Richard Kent Evans studied at Auburn University and Texas Tech before earning a Ph.D. in history from Temple University. Evans served on the faculty at Haverford College in Pennsylvania and as the project coordinator for an international organization interested in the publicly engaged and interdisciplinary study of religion and politics before returning to his home state to direct the Alabama Writers' Forum.

Reviews for MOVE: An American Religion

This book questions religion as a category of politics and allows us to underline the suspicion in which the US authorities hold religions, particularly when it comes to African-Americans... the book is fascinating reading for anyone interested in American religious history, African-American history. * Olivier Maheo, Archives de sciences sociales des religions * Part ethnography, part deep exploration of previously unexamined archives, Evans's tightly written and fast-paced book is the definitive treatment of the MOVE bombing and the events leading to it. * Paul A. Anthony, Reading Religion * In sum, Evans's book is a worthwhile read... * Jacob S. Dorman, The University of Nevada, Nova Religio * Groundbreaking... Evans's 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 * Evans's critically important text makes a compelling case that MOVE is essential to understanding American religion in the twentieth century. * Joseph L. Tucker Edmonds, American Religion * Richard Kent Evans's MOVE: An American Religion operates on several levels vital to today's social and political discourse, both inside and outside the academic community. * Cynthia Taylor, Dominican University of California *