"My dear sista Pamela Ayo Yetunde has written an evocative emergent journey that asks us to be with our beloved ancestor Prince Rogers Nelson not simply read the words. Dearly Beloved will invite you to your edges, and then ask if you're ready for more. This is truly a beautiful book and worthy of contemplation and appreciation."

"Ayo Yetunde and her new book on the deep meaning of Prince's eternal music are rare gifts that speak to our heart and our soul, that inspire us to reimagine the power of song, soul, and creativity in facing the awe and the ache that lives in us and around us in troubled times. Poetic and profound, this is a book that should be savored and used for contemplating how this artist and art make us whole."

"Whether you share the author's interpretations of Prince's spirituality or bring your own perspective, Dearly Beloved is more than a book examining Prince's spiritual journey--it's an invitation and practical guide to exploring and deepening your own. Through "up(ward)" listening and viewing practices of Prince's songs and films, this book empowers you to embrace the truth that you are beloved and dear by encouraging you to reflect on and question your spiritual inheritances and history."

"In Dearly Beloved, we are invited to see Prince not just as an artist but as a modern-day theologian who, like the Apostle Paul, wrestled with the complexities of faith, freedom, and identity. This book is a testament to the idea that we are all 'fearfully and wonderfully made' (Psalm 139:14). A must-read for those seeking to deepen their understanding of the divine through music, media, and the beauty of the 'everyday things we do.'"

"In Dearly Beloved, Ayo Yetunde takes us on a multisensory excursion examining the life and spiritual exploration of the musician Prince. He was an enormous talent, expressing privately through his life, but publicly through his songs and performances, his deep longing for creation and connection, both with his listeners and later with the divine."

"In this singularly compelling book, Ayo Yetunde channels the many complex facets of Prince through the prism of his theologies, revealing the previously unexplored spiritual insights and perspectives of this great artist. This invaluable work will be a boon to any Prince admirer wanting to learn more about his focus on spiritual healing."

"Being beloved is grace. If you know this, Dearly Beloved will embrace you. If you don't know this, Dearly Beloved will shatter you, and then awaken you. In either case, this is a book worthy of your time and attention."

"This book is something remarkable--more than yet another posthumous blessing of a singular musical talent but a brilliant reframing of Prince as theologian. His entire canon, B-sides and all, is mined and clarified not only so we can understand his complex faith, but better understand our own. An important contribution to music and church!"

"Yetunde's close reading reveals an artist whose resistance to narrow binaries, and objectifying ways of thinking and being invites us to not only "get through this thing called life," but to accept our own and each others vulnerabilities with humility and love."

"In Dearly Beloved, Ayo Yetunde brings us closer to the heart of Prince's music. Beneath the vitality of his vast collection, there is a search for meaning, deeper connection, and liberation. This is a book that you feel and savor the moments of inspiration."