Gypsy Smith: The Forgotten Evangelist

Rodney “Gipsy” Smith was an English Romanichel Gypsy, and as a result, he was raised in a culture of primary orality. Despite his limited educational opportunities, he rose from obscurity to global prominence as an evangelist. His evangelistic ministry spanned seventy years, from his early days with the Salvation Army until his death 1947. During those years, he led some of the most significant revival meetings in the world in England, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and America, where he made forty trips during his ministry. He was loved and respected by famous preachers like Alexander McLaren, F. B. Meyer, G. Campbell Morgan, John Henry Jowett, Joseph Parker, Thomas Spurgeon, and S. Parkes Cadman. This wonderful book includes a complete biography, an overview of Smith’s Gypsy culture, a complete analysis of his evangelistic, preaching, and delivery methodology, and an analysis of the influence of primary orality on his preaching style, using Walter Ong’s Psychodynamics of Orality. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys learning about the great heroes of the faith!