Faith and Meaning in the Southern Uplands

by Loyal Jones

Overview

Never have so many missionaries been sent to save so many Christians as is the case in the Southern Uplands. The area has long been perceived by American Christians in contradictory ways: on the one hand, as an unchurched area with people who have little religion or an inadequate faith; on the other, as part of the Bible Belt, packed with small breakaway fundamentalist churches and wild-eyed believers.
 
In Faith and Meaning, one of Appalachian religion's most eloquent spokesmen reveals a people devoted to and thoughtful about their religion, and profoundly influenced by it. Loyal Jones's three decades of conversations and interviews, supplemented by documents such as sermons, testimonies, and articles of faith, articulate Southern Upland views on basic issues of the human condition—faith, God, the world, the Word, and the devil—as well as on community issues such as racial integration and women in the church. In their own voices these people describe their beliefs, their churches, and their lives, exposing a deep conviction tempered with humanity and humor.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780252067594
Publisher:	University of Illinois Press
Publication date:	01/01/1999
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

Editorial Reviews

Winner of the W. D. Weatherford Award, given by Berea College, 1999.

From the Publisher

Jones, retired director of the Appalachian Center at Berea College, brings years of research and experience to this study of the Uplands religion, offering primarily quotes, interviews, and sermons by local people collected over a 30-year period. He presents the mountain people's religious ideas on everything from God to the human condition in their own words. Jones, whose own roots are in Appalachia, takes issue with scholars and missionaries who misunderstand Upland people and their beliefs. Though he is not blind to its problems, Jones feels the Upland religion has its own life-affirming elements that should not be ignored. His comments and conclusions help bring the reader an appreciation for this obscure area. Of special interest is his chapter on Upland hymnody and its vivid imagery. An excellent book by an expert insider; highly recommended for academic and public libraries.--C. Robert Nixon, M.L.S., Lafayette, IN

Library Journal