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...