Raccoon John Smith: Frontier Kentucky's Most Famous Preacher (Religion in the South) - Tapa dura

""[John Smith] has certainly earned a spot in the myth of the frontier. Raccoon John Smith goes a long way toward placing Kentucky's most famous preacher in that place." -- Ohio Valley History" -- "All scholars interested in Raccoon John Smith, especially the Baptists of Kentucky, are indebted to Sparks because of his immersion into the primary Baptist sources." -- Thomas H. Olbricht, Restoration Quarterly "Mountain preachers have a rich and colorful history, but none more so than Raccoon John Smith." -- Modern Mountain Magazine "Sparks is the first to objectively analyze the mythologized minister, and his extensive research and cross-referencing of sources and facts ensure the preservation of a more comprehensive and factually correct history of Raccoon John Smith for future generations. A great epic on the religious fibre of Kentucky." -- Manchester (KY) Enterprise "Filled with extensive detail on religion, politics, society, and personal struggles and accomplishments, this is also an excellent history of pre-Civil War Kentucky, especially in terms of the formation, development, and conflicts among various churches and denominations." -- Kentucky Kaleidoscope "The author displays an encyclopedic knowledge of Appalachian religion.... Nicely describes a world of fierce frontier religious controversy, which often proved as divisive as the secular politics of the day.... Recommended." -- Choice "An extremely well-researched and well-written study. Sparks engages readers from the very beginning with his introspection into how and why he has undertaken the task of examining this interesting and complex figure in American Christianity." -- Douglas A. Foster, Abilene Christian University

In 1969, nineteen-year-old Robert Hunt was found dead in the Cairo, Illinois, police station. The white authorities ruled the death a suicide, but many members of the African American community believed that Hunt had been murdered -- a sentiment that sparked rebellions and protests across the city. Cairo suddenly emerged as an important battleground for black survival in America and became a focus for many civil rights groups, including the NAACP. The United Front, a black power organization founded and led by Reverend Charles Koen, also mobilized -- thanks in large part to the support of local Christian congregations. In this vital reassessment of the impact of religion on the black power movement , Kerry Pimblott presents a nuanced discussion of the ways in which black churches supported and shaped the United Front. She deftly challenges conventional narratives of the de-Christianization of the movement, revealing that Cairoites embraced both old-time religion and revolutionary thought. Not only did the faithful fund the mass direct-action strategies of the United Front, but activists also engaged the literature on black theology, invited theologians to speak at their rallies, and sent potential leaders to train at seminaries. Pimblott also investigates the impact of female leaders on the organization and their influence on young activists, offering new perspectives on the hypermasculine image of black power. Based on extensive primary research, this groundbreaking book contributes to and complicates the history of the black freedom struggle in America. It not only adds a new element to the study of African American religion but also illuminates the relationship between black churches and black politics during this tumultuous era.