The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in an American Family

by Andrew Himes, Parker J Palmer (Foreword by)

Overview

Christian fundamentalism in America emerged a century ago, the faith of generations of immigrants who had experienced war and revolution, removal and upheaval. The Scots-Irish who had settled the South inherited both an evangelical legacy of abolitionism and social reform on the one hand, and complicity in human slavery and racial oppression on the other. This book brings the story of fundamentalism to life through the generations of the Rice family--immigrants, soldiers, farmers, slaveowners, refugees, and preachers. This is a work of history, memoir, and personal testimony about the changing shape of a faith that seeks to transform the world. Foreword by Parker J. Palmer

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781453843758
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	04/14/2011
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	370
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.82(d)

About the Author

Andrew Himes was born into one of the leading fundamentalist families of the 20th century. His grandfather was John R. Rice, dean of American fundamentalists for decades until his death in 1980, and mentor to many younger Baptist preachers including Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell, as well as founding editor of The Sword of the Lord newspaper. His great-grandfather, Will Rice, was a preacher, a Texas State senator, and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. By the time he was four, Himes had been saved; by the time he was 20, he'd turned his back on the career expected of the oldest son, grandson and great-grandson of Baptist preachers, becoming instead an activist in the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 60s. Only later in life did he begin a spiritual journey to reconnect with and redefine his family's spiritual heritage. Himes was co-founder of the international movement, "Poets Against the War," in 2003 and producer of the acclaimed 2005 documentary, Voices in Wartime, an exploration of the trauma of war through the lens of poetry (www.voicesinwartime.org). He is also the founder and president of Voices (www.voiceseducation.org) a web site dedicated to amplifying the voices of veterans and civilian witnesses to war, in order to heal the wounds of war and lay the basis for a more peaceful world In April of 2011, he was selected as an Ambassador for the Charter for Compassion (www.charterforcompassion.org)