We offer to read an annotation, description, summary or preface (depends on what the author of the book "Alabama Baptists: Southern Baptists in the heart of Dixie" wrote himself). If you haven't found the necessary information about the book — write in the comments, we will try to find it.
Alabama Baptists are a complex people. Although regarded as conservativein both politics and theology, many Baptists became leaders of the 1890sagrarian revolt, devoted partisans of the social gospel early in the 20thcentury, and ardent advocates of the New Deal. Complexity has also characterizedthe denominations race relations. For nearly five decades half its memberswere slaves, while many other members owned slaves. Thus, interaction ofblack and white Baptists created a unique religious setting in which peoplewho were members of the same churches interpreted the gospel of liberationin dramatically different ways. After the Civil War, Baptist churches inthe South divided into white and black congregations. Only white congregationsremained part of the Southern Baptist Convention, whose members are knownas Southern Baptists. Black congregations became part of the National BaptistConvention, and their history is a separate story deserving future study. Despite social and cultural conflict Alabama Baptists helped tame achaotic frontier, sustained a sense of community, created opportunitiesnot available in secular society, shaped Alabama politics, and obtainedreligious dominance seldom matched in U.S. history. Wayne Flynts balanced, exhaustively researched book is the first aboutAlabama Baptists to be written by a professional historian. Publicationin 1998 marks the 175th anniversary of the Alabama State Baptist Convention.
