| At Ease in Zion: Social History of Southern Baptists, 1865-1900 First Edition, Edition Contributor(s): Spain, Rufus B. (Author), Hill, Samuel S. (Foreword by) |
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ISBN: 0817350381 ISBN-13: 9780817350383 Publisher: University Alabama Press OUR PRICE: $28.45 Product Type: Paperback Published: July 2003 Annotation: With a title that references the biblical description of peace and prosperity, this book examines attitudes of Southern Baptists (and their denomination and convention) toward the profound social, moral, economic, and political changes the South faced in the post-Civil War era. Rufus Spain's seminal work laid the foundation for subsequent studies of religion in the American South. Spain drew from reports of the Southern Baptist Convention and religious journals and newspapers to support his claim that Baptists typically resisted social change and did not confront the problems of their day. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Religion | Christianity - Baptist - History | Social History - Religion | Christianity - History |
| Dewey: 286.175 |
| LCCN: 2003047324 |
| Series: Religion and American Culture (University of Alabama) |
| Physical Information: 0.79" H x 5.58" W x 9.8" (1.02 lbs) 270 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1851-1899 - Religious Orientation - Christian |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Groundbreaking story that analyzes the Southern Baptist denomination's influence on southern culture during the 19th century First published in 1967, Rufus Spain's thorough investigation into Southern Baptist attitudes set the stage for research on religion in the American South. In At Ease in Zion, Spain questions the titular "ease" with society that Southern Baptists seemed to maintain following the Civil War. His analysis of denominational newspapers, as well as reports from the Southern Baptist Convention and state conventions, paint a compelling picture of the subjects' complacency with their social existence, even as they criticized personal and recreational ethics. While the South faced significant social, economic, and political changes after the Civil War, religion remained the primary moral influence. As the Southern Baptist denomination made up a significant majority of the population at that time, its leaders and attitudes had a clear and undeniable impact on social norms. Rufus Spain was one of the first writers to actively demonstrate the relationship between Southern religion and Southern society, and his work displays meticulous attention to the ways in which we are affected by complacency. He asserts that Southern Baptists viewed the American South as a version of God's ideal society; any issues they wished to address were caused by individuals (such as those who did not conform to societal norms) or external attitudes (such as those in differing religions or regions). At Ease in Zion is a critical part of the scholarly discussion on religion in society. Spain's research offers a bold analysis of the American South and its citizens during one of the most tumultuous times in its history while providing a basis for arguments on "social Christianity" and its ever-shifting role in the world. |