Baptist Churches Books

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Book Synopsis'For anyone who enjoyed Hillbilly Elegy or Educated, Unfollow is an essential text' - Louis Theroux'Such a moving, redemptive, clear-eyed account of religious indoctrination' - Pandora Sykes'A nuanced portrait of the lure and pain of zealotry' New York Times'Unfolds like a suspense novel . . . A brave, unsettling, and fascinating memoir about the damage done by religious fundamentalism' NPRA Radio Four Book of the Week Pick for June 2021As featured on the BBC documentaries, 'The Most Hated Family in America' and 'Surviving America's Most Hated Family'It was an upbringing in many ways normal. A loving home, shared with squabbling siblings, overseen by devoted parents. Yet in other ways it was the precise opposite: a revolving door of TV camera crews and documentary makers, a world of extreme discipline, of siblings vanishing in the night.Megan Phelps-Roper was raised in the Westboro Baptist Church - the fire-and-brimstone religious sect at once aggressively homophobic and anti-Semitic, rejoiceful for AIDS and natural disasters, and notorious for its picketing the funerals of American soldiers. From her first public protest, aged five, to her instrumental role in spreading the church's invective via social media, her formative years brought their difficulties. But being reviled was not one of them. She was preaching God's truth. She was, in her words, 'all in'.In November 2012, at the age of twenty-six, she left the church, her family, and her life behind.Unfollow is a story about the rarest thing of all: a person changing their mind. It is a fascinating insight into a closed world of extreme belief, a biography of a complex family, and a hope-inspiring memoir of a young woman finding the courage to find compassion for others, as well as herself.---More praise for Unfollow'A beautiful, gripping book about a singular soul, and an unexpected redemption' - Nick Hornby'A modern-day parable for how we should speak and listen to each other' - Dolly Alderton'Her journey - from Westboro to becoming one of the most empathetic, thoughtful, humanistic writers around - is exceptional and inspiring' - Jon Ronson'A gripping story, beautifully told . . . It takes real talent to produce a book like this. Its message could not be more urgent' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewMegan Phelps-Roper is a beautiful writer, and her journey - from Westboro to becoming one of the most empathetic, thoughtful, humanistic writers around - is exceptional and inspiring. I met Megan shortly after she left her church. She said, 'I want to do good, but I don't know how.' With Unfollow she's figured out how. -- Jon RonsonUnfollow is a book that speaks eloquently to our divided times: the tale of a young girl born into a family whose name is a byword for bigotry and how she grew into a compassionate young woman, leaving her family behind and forging an entirely new understanding of the world and her place in it. Full of insight, thoughtfulness and vivid detail, it is also the debut of a gifted new writer. For anyone who enjoyed Hillbilly Elegy or Educated, Unfollow is an essential text, a testament to the fact that there is no-one immune to childhood indoctrination, but also to the ever-present possibility of profound change. -- Louis TherouxMegan Phelps-Roper has guts - maybe more guts than can comfortably be contained within one adult human. First, as a member of the scary Westboro Baptist Church, she had the guts to get into the faces of people she disapproved of, gays and Jews and less fiery Christians, and tell them why God hated them. Then - and this is where you and I come in - she had the guts to listen and to think, and to decide that everything she had built her life upon was wrong. This is a beautiful, gripping book about a singular soul, and an unexpected redemption. -- Nick HornbyRarely do you come across someone with the courage and clarity of Megan Phelps-Roper. From her story, we can learn things sorely needed in our age: empathy, openness, and how we can best build bridges across divided lines. -- Chris Anderson, Head of TEDMegan Phelps-Roper is one of the most inspiring women I have ever met. If you want to see how a girl raised on religious fanaticism and sectarian hatred can be cured by the power of honest reasoning, read this book. -- Sam HarrisMegan Phelps-Roper finds a way to tell the story of the girl she was raised to be from the perspective of the woman she became, without rewriting history or losing touch with the earnestness that made everything in her world seem ok, if not downright righteous. Despite a fundamental transformation of epic proportions, Megan's core, her soul, remains the same throughout: kind, passionate, and open. Her process is wildly brave and incredibly thoughtful and this book gives us the incomparable insight into a world we all, and yet, none of us, know. This book will leave you holding your heart. -- Sarah SilvermanMegan's story embodies the power of patience, listening, and empathy in this time of extreme intolerance and hatred of one's ideological enemies. It is, quite simply, exactly what the world needs right now. -- Mark DuplassExcellent . . . Phelps-Roper's intelligence and compassion shine throughout with electric prose . . . For anyone interested in the power of rhetoric, belief, and family, Phelps-Roper's powerful, empathetic memoir will be a must-read. * Publishers Weekly *Eloquent and entirely candid . . . A heartfelt and richly detailed memoir. * Kirkus *A gripping story, beautifully told, and one offering an extraordinary insight into the minds and thoughts of rational, bright, generally decent people who have been brainwashed into believing crazy, cruel things. Phelps-Roper's years of voracious reading were not wasted. In clear, readable prose, she moves between remembered scenes, vivid descriptions and reflection to paint a fascinating portrait of the family she loved and had to leave . . . It takes real guts to do what she has done. It takes real talent to produce a book like this. Its message could not be more urgent. * Sunday Times *Unfolds like a suspense novel . . . A brave, unsettling, and fascinating memoir about the damage done by religious fundamentalism. * NPR *A nuanced portrait of the lure and pain of zealotry. * New York Times *A must-read for anyone who loved Tara Westover's Educated and is ultimately a book about hope and compassion. * Red *'Offers an important lesson in our current, angry political climate. Phelps-Roper's story is instructive and captivating in itself, but it also contains a critical message about communication and understanding for an era in which they are increasingly scarce. Listening and persuading have become rare skills, and they are needed now more than ever. If the spokeswoman raised on the picket lines of the most hated family and church in America can be persuaded to leave bigotry and everything she's ever known behind and make amends with those she once tormented, what excuse can there be for our age of competitive pettiness?' * Washington Examiner *Unfollow is an exceptional book: a loving portrait of a fanatical organisation. * The Times *This is her wise, heart-rending account of loving and leaving 'America's most hated family'to live on the 'outside', damnation be damned. * Saga Magazine *

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThis is the first full account of the crucial role of black women in making the church a powerful institution for social and political change in the black community. From 1880–1920, the black church served as the most effective vehicle by which men and women alike, pushed down by racism and poverty, rallied against emotional and physical defeat.Trade ReviewIf the period was so important for women but simultaneously a low point for black Americans as a group, then how should we understand the apparently contradictory politics of that time? Righteous Discontent accentuates the positive, finding in the contradiction ‘a creative tension that both motivated and empowered black women to speak out.’ Ms. Higginbotham moves beyond the dichotomous thinking that has often short-circuited our attempts to understand the situation of black women… An important, sophisticated, and richly instructive book. -- Suzanne Lebsock * New York Times Book Review *Higginbotham’s book is populated with fascinating and accomplished women… [Her] research is impeccable and her work both ambitious and important. Righteous Discontent contributes significantly to the still underappreciated history of the black church in America. -- Adele Logan Alexander * Washington Post Book World *Higginbotham has pioneered a study of a long-neglected component of the African-American experience. This book is a powerful and compelling story of the religious life of African-American women and their resistance to racism and sexism. Through Higginbotham’s work, the voices of African-American women, which have remained silent too long, emerge distinct and bold. -- Jill Watts * Journal of American History *A landmark contribution to American religious history. * Choice *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. The Black Church: A Gender Perspective 2. The Female Talented Tenth 3. Separatist Leanings 4. Unlikely Sisterhood 5. Feminist Theology, 1880-1900 6. The Coming of Age of the Black Baptist Sisterhood 7. The Politics of Respectability Notes Index

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Book SynopsisAnthropologist Carol J. Greenhouse offers an ethnographic study of attitudes toward conflict and law in a predominantly white, middle-class, suburban, principally Southern Baptist community.Trade ReviewA most stimulating book.... Praying for Justice is very successful in describing a people's aversion to discord by means of cultural analysis based on sensitive use of ethnographic and archival materials.... There is also the pure interest in figuring out a cultural system that is not of law, but that impacts on law, one that is based on justification rather than command, on participation rather than obedience, a system of handling conflict not requiring the application of human authority.... This book is superlative. * Law and Society Review *A welcome study analyzing the ideology of Southern Baptists in a suburban community in Georgia. Greenhouse's concern is how religious beliefs provide a basis for people's ideas about justice in their social order and how conflicts or potential conflicts are overcome or avoided entirely by invoking religious doctrine.... Her sophisticated analysis of the data is impressive and demonstrates an understanding of Southern beliefs that few scholars have achieved. * American Anthropologist *The strength of this work is in its imaginative explanation of the structural means of conflict resolution. Greenhouse goes to painstaking length to explain the Baptist response to conflict.... She absorbs herself in her data and maintains that delicate balance of scholar and confidant to her subjects. * Contemporary Sociology *

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Book SynopsisAnthropologist Carol J. Greenhouse offers an ethnographic study of attitudes toward conflict and law in a predominantly white, middle-class, suburban, principally Southern Baptist community.Trade ReviewA most stimulating book.... Praying for Justice is very successful in describing a people's aversion to discord by means of cultural analysis based on sensitive use of ethnographic and archival materials.... There is also the pure interest in figuring out a cultural system that is not of law, but that impacts on law, one that is based on justification rather than command, on participation rather than obedience, a system of handling conflict not requiring the application of human authority.... This book is superlative. * Law and Society Review *A welcome study analyzing the ideology of Southern Baptists in a suburban community in Georgia. Greenhouse's concern is how religious beliefs provide a basis for people's ideas about justice in their social order and how conflicts or potential conflicts are overcome or avoided entirely by invoking religious doctrine.... Her sophisticated analysis of the data is impressive and demonstrates an understanding of Southern beliefs that few scholars have achieved. * American Anthropologist *The strength of this work is in its imaginative explanation of the structural means of conflict resolution. Greenhouse goes to painstaking length to explain the Baptist response to conflict.... She absorbs herself in her data and maintains that delicate balance of scholar and confidant to her subjects. * Contemporary Sociology *

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Book SynopsisMelody Maxwellâs The Woman I Am analyses the traditional, progressive, and potential roles female Southern Baptist writers and editors portrayed for Southern Baptist women from 1906 to 2006, particularly in the area of missions. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) represents the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, yet Southern Baptist womenâs voices have been underreported in studies of American religion and culture. In The Woman I Am, Melody Maxwell explores how female Southern Baptist writers and editors in the twentieth century depicted changing roles for women and responded to the tensions that arose as Southern Baptist women assumed leadership positions, especially in the areas of missions and denominational support. Given access to a century of primary sources and archival documents, Maxwell writes, as did many of her subjects, in a style that deftly combines the dispassionate eye of an observer with the multidimensional grasp of a participant. She exami

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Book SynopsisThe Disciples of Christ, led by reformers such as Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone, was one of a number of early 19th-century primitivist religious groups ""seeking to restore the ancient order of things"". This text looks at the history of the movement.

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Book SynopsisBased on extensive interviews with the most important Southern Baptist conservatives who have assumed control of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), this title shows how differing cultural perceptions help explain the great chasm that developed between fundamentalists in the SBC and the moderates who preceded them as leaders of the denomination.Trade ReviewThis richly detailed and closely narrated work is a fascinating study of key figures in the bitter struggle from 1979 to the 1990s for control of the nation's largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention.... [It is] a unique work and essential reading for those interested in contemporary 'culture wars.' - Paul Harvey, Religious Studies Review; ""Hankins is going against the common notion that SBC conservatives are reasserting the southernness (read racism, patriarchy, and general backwardness) of the SBC. By examining the development and thinking of specific conservative leaders, such as Albert Mohler, Richard Land, and Adrian Rodgers, Hankins is able to demonstrate that important influences upon them were neither southern nor Baptist, but more broadly national and evangelical."" - The Journal of Southern Religion Reviews; ""This is a 'must-read' for Baptist historians. College and divinity school libraries should purchase this book. It would be a great monograph for use in a Baptist history or American religious history survey class."" - Choice; ""A fair and first-rate account."" - Douglas Abrams, Georgia Historical Quarterly

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Book SynopsisWritten by a leading authority on Baptist life and thought, this inclusive survey traces the development of the Baptist tradition in North America over the past 400 years. Shows how from a handful of churches on the Atlantic Coast, the Baptist movement spread to become the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Considers the contribution of all Baptists, including those in the United States and Canada, men and women, Caucasians and non-Caucasians. Includes statistical data, a timeline, lists of Baptist groups and related institutions, and a glossary of terms. Trade Review"Baptists in North America is an excellent resource for undergraduates, seminary students, and general readers "who have an interest in Baptist history. Baptist churches should hold Baptist heritage seminars, utilizing this book as the primary text." (Baptist History and Heritage, Fall 2010) “Baptists in North America – a stellar accomplishment – is the result of a life of Baptist churchmanship and Baptist scholarship. Who in the world knows more about Baptists in North America than William Brackney?” William B. Shurden, The Center for Baptist Studies, Mercer University “Given the astonishing diversity of Baptist life and thought, not to mention the subtle but real differences between American and Canadian culture, few scholars could write a meaningful history of Baptists in North America, but Bill Brackney has done it. The author has a firm grasp of the chronological and institutional details but also shows his ability to interpret thematically the big picture. This is a valuable piece of work.” Stanley K. Fowler, Heritage Theological Seminary "Brackney (Baylor Univ.) is one of the foremost scholars of Baptists in North America. Out of that expertise he has produced this new history, which, impressively, is comprehensive yet concise enough not to overwhelm the reader. That makes it ideal for college undergraduates or divinity school students. Brackney analyzes the traditional, distinctive characteristics of Baptists, such as their attention to a believer's church, separation of church and state, soul freedom, and local church autonomy. However, he also describes the process of how Baptists have moved toward denominationalism over the last several centuries. This book will be a valuable addition to any library and can be an excellent resource for the classroom as well.Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. -- G. Jonas, Campbell University, Choice "The African American churches need less absolutizing in order to undertake their great task of addressing the still rampant inequality and structural racism that criminalizes so many of their young males and reduces others to passivity. A radical gospel is needed more than ever, and it is to be hoped that this book will stimulate research to galvanize the churches into reflective action." Theological Book ReviewTable of ContentsForeword. Preface. Introduction: What Are the Baptists? or Who Are the Baptists?. 1. Coming to America. 2. Revivalism and a Fondness for Liberty. 3. Growth and Diversification. 4. The Institutionalization of a Tradition. 5. A Tradition of Several Families. 6. The Pinnacle of Baptist Denominationalism. 7. The Come-outer Tradition. 8. The Uniqueness of African American Baptists. 9. Baptists and the Missionary Impulse. 10. Social Concerns and Mores of an Evangelical Tradition. 11. Baptists Face Modernity. Bibliography. Appendix List of Baptist Groups in the United States and Canada. Glossary of Terms in Baptist Usage. Index.

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Book SynopsisBest-selling author John Piper puts the life of Andrew Fuller on display as inspriration forallChristians to devote themselves to knowing, guarding, and spreading the true gospelto the ends of the earth.

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Book SynopsisProvides an illuminating look at the diverse world of Black religious life in North America, focusing particularly outside of mainstream Christian churchesFrom the Moorish Science Temple to the Peace Mission Movement of Father Divine to the Commandment Keepers sect of Black Judaism, myriad Black new religious movements developed during the time of the Great Migration. Many of these stood outside of Christianity, but some remained at least partially within the Christian fold. The Black Coptic Church is one of these. Black Coptics combined elements of Black Protestant and Black Hebrew traditions with Ethiopianism as a way of constructing a divine racial identity that embraced the idea of a royal Egyptian heritage for its African American followers, a heroic identity that was in stark contrast to the racial identity imposed on African Americans by the white dominant culture. This embrace of a royal Blacknesswhat McKinnis calls an act of fugitive spiritualityilluminates how the Black CoptiTrade ReviewMcKinnis’s writing style is clear and inviting. . . . This book is poised to make a major contribution to American and African American religious studies. -- Wallace D. Best, author of Langston’s Salvation: American Religion and the Bard of HarlemThe book makes original contributions to our understanding of Black religious diversity, providing a theological portrait of an unexamined Black new religious movement and engaging the Black Coptic Church as a lens on religion and race in America. -- Judith Weisenfeld, Agate Brown and George L. Collord Professor of Religion, Princeton UniversityContributes valuably to underscoring the diversity of African American religious diversity. -- Charles A. Price, Temple University

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Book SynopsisProvides an illuminating look at the diverse world of Black religious life in North America, focusing particularly outside of mainstream Christian churchesFrom the Moorish Science Temple to the Peace Mission Movement of Father Divine to the Commandment Keepers sect of Black Judaism, myriad Black new religious movements developed during the time of the Great Migration. Many of these stood outside of Christianity, but some remained at least partially within the Christian fold. The Black Coptic Church is one of these. Black Coptics combined elements of Black Protestant and Black Hebrew traditions with Ethiopianism as a way of constructing a divine racial identity that embraced the idea of a royal Egyptian heritage for its African American followers, a heroic identity that was in stark contrast to the racial identity imposed on African Americans by the white dominant culture. This embrace of a royal Blacknesswhat McKinnis calls an act of fugitive spiritualityilluminates how the Black CoptiTrade ReviewMcKinnis’s writing style is clear and inviting. . . . This book is poised to make a major contribution to American and African American religious studies. -- Wallace D. Best, author of Langston’s Salvation: American Religion and the Bard of HarlemThe book makes original contributions to our understanding of Black religious diversity, providing a theological portrait of an unexamined Black new religious movement and engaging the Black Coptic Church as a lens on religion and race in America. -- Judith Weisenfeld, Agate Brown and George L. Collord Professor of Religion, Princeton UniversityContributes valuably to underscoring the diversity of African American religious diversity. -- Charles A. Price, Temple University

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Book SynopsisHistory professors Linford Fisher and J. Stanley Lemons immediately recognised the importance of what turned out to be theologian Roger Williams' final treatise. Decoding Roger Williams reveals for the first time Williams' translated and annotated essay, along with a critical essay by Fisher, Lemons, and Mason-Brown.Trade Review"Decoding Roger Williams revels in the ingenuity of American historical scholarship and renews Williams' fame as early New England's most intriguing and challenging figure." -- Jon Butler, Yale University"A gem of a book and feat of careful scholarship, Decoding Roger Williams illuminates an important aspect of Williams' thinking. It's a very welcome addition to what we know about him." -- David D Hall, Bartlett Research Professor of New England Church History, Harvard Divinity School"Brilliantly transcribed from Roger Williams' shorthand notes, this previously undecoded manuscript demands reconsideration of New England's encounter with Baptist ideas and also of the colonial effort to Christianize native Americans." -- Francis J Bremer, Professor Emeritus, Millersville University of PennsylvaniaDecoding Roger Williams provides significant insights into the life of Roger Williams, particularly by examining what is likely his latest extant theological writings and by discussing two subjects rarely touched on in his other texts. It will provide much fodder for future scholars, not only in decoding what remains in the gaps of the document, but also in the implications of a fuller picture of Williams's religious beliefs. -- Alyssa N. Gerhardt -- The Journal of Southern ReligionStudents of Baptist history and of colonial New England will appreciate this addition to the Roger Williams corpus -- Andrew C. Smith -- American Baptist QuarterlyTable of ContentsList of Figures and Maps Acknowledgments Foreword by Ted Widmer A Key into the Language of Roger Williams: Cracking and Interpreting the Roger Williams Code Roger Williams: "A Brief Reply to a Small Book Written by John Eliot" (1679-1683) John Norcott, Baptism Discovered Plainly and Faithfully According to the Word of God (1675 [1672]) John Eliot, A Brief Answer to a Small Book Written by John Norcot Against Infant-Baptisme (1679) Further Reading and Research Index

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