The Titles

There are three titles to consider in this book - the title of the book itself ("The Fire Next Time"), the title of the first essay ("My Dungeon Shook"), and the title of the second essay ("Down at the Cross"). The first and third titles are taken from spirituals, while the second title is taken from a poem by a black poet. All are quoted anonymously. While they all originated with black creators, and while they all have their origins in Christian teachings, they each have something different to say about the book's theme relating to racial tensions between blacks and whites. The book's title is a quotation from a spiritual (for the entire quote see Section 2 Part 3), and suggests that instead of humanity's evil being punished by God with a flood, the next time God inflicts his punishment it will be with fire. The implication...