"Gregg's work is nicely nuanced, convincingly supported, and attractively presented. . . . His work will undoubtedly be useful to both social and religious historians in advancing their understanding of this pivotal period in American (and African-American) history." -- Journal of American History
"Building on the tradition of community studies, of E.P. Thompson, Kenneth Kusmer, and Joe William Trotter, Gregg brings an intricacy and sophistication to his analysis that is admirable." -- Emma Lapsansky, Haverford College, Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography
"This is a valuable and insightful study. It challenges very effectively the argument that the established churches didn't help migrants and hence contributed to their 'failure to make good' in the North. The author deserves special praise for his assessment of what the Philadelphia churches actually did do, and the reasons for their failure to attract more of the newcomers. It adds much to our understanding of the nature of the Great Migration." -- Julie Winch, History, University of Massachusetts