This sweeping overview of the role religion, especially diverse denominations of Christianity, has played in Georgia's history, from pre-colonial days to the modern era, uses the stories of important figures to portray larger historical narratives and denominational battles.

From the Founding Fathers through the present, Christianity has exercised powerful influence in the United States—from its role in shaping politics and social institutions to its hand in inspiring art and culture. The Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States outlines the myriad roles Christianity has played and continues to play. This masterful five-volume reference work includes biographies of major figures in the Christian church in the United States, influential religious documents and Supreme Court decisions, and information on theology and theologians, denominations, faith-based organizations, immigration, art—from decorative arts and film to music and literature—evangelism and crusades, the significant role of women, racial issues, civil religion, and more. The first volume opens with introductory essays that provide snapshots of Christianity in the U.S. from pre-colonial times to the present, as well as a statistical profile and a timeline of key dates and events. Entries are organized from A to Z. The final volume closes with essays exploring impressions of Christianity in the United States from other faiths and other parts of the world, as well as a select yet comprehensive bibliography. Appendices help readers locate entries by thematic section and author, and a comprehensive index further aids navigation.

The proof of any group's importance to history is in the detail, a fact made plain by this informative book's day-by-day documentation of the impact of African Americans on life in the United States. One of the easiest ways to grasp any aspect of history is to look at it as a continuum. African American History Day by Day: A Reference Guide to Events provides just such an opportunity. Organized in the form of a calendar, this book allows readers to see the dates of famous births, deaths, and events that have affected the lives of African Americans and, by extension, of America as a whole. Each day features an entry with information about an important event that occurred on that date. Background on the highlighted event is provided, along with a link to at least one primary source document and references to books and websites that can provide more information. While there are other calendars of African American history, this one is set apart by its level of academic detail. It is not only a calendar, but also an easy-to-use reference and learning tool.

ERT publishes quality articles and book reviews from around the world (both original and reprinted) from an evangelical perspective, reflecting global evangelical scholarship for the purpose of discerning the obedience of faith, and of relevance and importance to its international readership of theologians, educators, church leaders, missionaries, administrators and students. The journal is published as a ministry rather than as a commercial project, seeking to be of service to the worldwide spread of the gospel and the building up of the church and its leadership, in co-ordination with the World Evangelical Alliance’s broader mission and activities.

In antebellum America, Black children, even those of tax-paying Blacks in most states could not attend White public schools or in some states any schools. Nevertheless, with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Blacks assumed they would receive all inalienable rights granted to them as American freedmen. For most, the right to a proper public education for their children was paramount. Nevertheless, White educators often neglected or poorly implemented Black schools, especially secondary schools. With their reluctance to provide schools for Blacks, African American communities organized and petitioned school districts to develop Black schools on par with those for Whites. In the book, Black Cultural Capital: Activism that Spurred African American High Schools, authors describe the role of the Black community in the development of high schools. Their narratives reveal White educators’ unwillingness to implement state laws requiring the education of all children. Their lack of engagement galvanized Blacks to petition boards to adhere to the law. Additionally, they forced school districts to hire Black teachers and provide facilities for Black children equal to those of White children. The fruits of their labor enabled Black children to attend suitable facilities, as well as learn from Black teachers who attended outstanding White and Black colleges and universities. Furthermore, stories of the high schools illustrate how communities sprouted up around them during their heydays as well as, for some, their demise as laws and court decisions eradicated Jim Crow and enabled all Americans to live and learn where they desired. ENDORSEMENTS: "Throughout America, the freedom dreams of Black people and the intellectual currents that guided them were first unleashed within one-room schoolhouses, dilapidated shacks, and church basements that were converted into laboratories of discovery and dissent. In short – Black spaces matter and have always mattered in the struggle for Black liberation. The authors of Black Cultural Capital have delivered one of the most comprehensive collection of essays to date that highlight the monumental legacy and rich history of America’s first Black high schools. Utilizing a vast array of sources, the authors have created an intimate portrait of the struggle to carve out historic spaces that educated and affirmed Black youth while simultaneously countering pernicious systems of white supremacy that sought to undermine them at every step. This volume of essays is a must have for any serious scholar or student of the Black freedom struggle in America." — Jelani M. Favors, North Carolina A&T State University "This is a long-awaited, quintessential contribution to our still-incomplete knowledge and understanding of the unique but intertwined histories of Black education and secondary schools in the United States. The narratives are incisive, enlightening, and inspiring. A welcome advancement to the historical foundations of education." — Tondra L. Loder-Jackson, The University of Alabama at Birmingham "At a time when there is a deservingly greater appreciation for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), we must also remember that K-12 Black high schools played a pivotal role in anchoring communities and creating a sense of place and freedom for Black people. In this edited book, Black Cultural Capital: Activism that Spurred African American High Schools, Drs. Vanessa B. Garry, E. Paulette Isaac-Savage, and Sha-Lai L. Williams produced a timely and much-needed book about the significant role Black high schools have historically--and continue to play--in Black communities and the Black freedom struggle. With detailed historical case studies of Black high schools throughout the United States, the various authors illuminate how these schools served as pillars in Black communities." — Jerome Morris, The University of Missouri - St. Louis

Why do we preserve certain landscapes while developing others without restraint? Drew A. Swanson’s in-depth look at Wormsloe plantation, located on the salt marshes outside of Savannah, Georgia, explores that question while revealing the broad historical forces that have shaped the lowcountry South. Wormsloe is one of the most historic and ecologically significant stretches of the Georgia coast. It has remained in the hands of one family from 1736, when Georgia’s Trustees granted it to Noble Jones, through the 1970s, when much of Wormsloe was ceded to Georgia for the creation of a state historic site. It has served as a guard post against aggression from Spanish Florida; a node in an emerging cotton economy connected to far-flung places like Lancashire and India; a retreat for pleasure and leisure; and a carefully maintained historic site and green space. Like many lowcountry places, Wormsloe is inextricably tied to regional, national, and global environments and is the product of transatlantic exchanges. Swanson argues that while visitors to Wormsloe value what they perceive to be an “authentic,” undisturbed place, this landscape is actually the product of aggressive management over generations. He also finds that Wormsloe is an ideal place to get at hidden stories, such as African American environmental and agricultural knowledge, conceptions of health and disease, the relationship between manual labor and views of nature, and the ties between historic preservation and natural resource conservation. Remaking Wormsloe Plantation connects this distinct Georgia place to the broader world, adding depth and nuance to the understanding of our own conceptions of nature and history.

Often referred to as the leader of inspiration in Appalachian studies, Helen Matthews Lewis linked scholarship with activism and encouraged deeper analysis of the region. Lewis shaped the field of Appalachian studies by emphasizing community participation and challenging traditional perceptions of the region and its people. Helen Matthews Lewis: Living Social Justice in Appalachia, a collection of Lewis's writings and memories that document her life and work, begins in 1943 with her job on the yearbook staff at Georgia State College for Women with Mary Flannery O'Connor. Editors Patricia D. Beaver and Judith Jennings highlight the achievements of Lewis's extensive career, examining her role as a teacher and activist at Clinch Valley College (now University of Virginia at Wise) and East Tennessee State University in the 1960s, as well as her work with Appalshop and the Highland Center. Helen Matthews Lewis connects Lewis's works to wider social movements by examining the history of progressive activism in Appalachia. The book provides unique insight into the development of regional studies and the life of a dynamic revolutionary, delivering a captivating and personal narrative of one woman's mission of activism and social justice.

The Routledge Handbook of Megachurches provides a survey of global megachurch phenomena, with an international slate of authors introducing existing and emerging research on a wide variety of relevant topics. Over the past decade, the field of megachurch studies has matured and become global in its scope and orientation. The Handbook offers 33 chapters by top scholars in the field, focusing in particular on: The location, demographic nature, and transnational connections of megachurches. Megachurch worship, hermeneutics, and theology (in theory and practice). Megachurch institutional dynamics. The various ways that megachurches have both influenced and been influenced by their social contexts in terms of class, age, gender, sexuality, and pop culture. The Handbook's interdisciplinary orientation makes it essential reading for sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, media specialists, pop culture observers, business strategists, leadership consultants, marketing analysts, scholars of religion, and Christian historians, theologians, and missiologists. Experienced scholars of megachurches will gain valuable insight into aspects of megachurch research beyond their own specializations. Scholars new to the field will find the chapters useful as signposts for where to begin their own academic exploration. Christian pastors and laypeople will learn more about this increasingly prominent and influential form of their faith.

This is a book to help further the ecumenical cause. By providing a new paradigm for growth in ecclesial wholeness, The Shape of the Church charts a pathway that is at once biblically and theologically grounded and pastorally applicable. Seven interdependent dimensions are identified (evangelical, pentecostal, sacramental, intellectual, mystical, pastoral, prophetic) which constitute the church’s wholeness and safeguard its integrity. Throughout church history, these seven dimensions have struggled to maintain a life-giving balance and have often isolated themselves from one another, distorting the church’s catholicity and wholeness. Reform movements have repeatedly arisen to help revive dimensions being neglected but have often over-emphasized these dimensions to the neglect of others and further distorted the church’s shape. The Shape of the Church seeks to offer a vision of the church that values the full dimensionality of the church and insists upon the giftedness of all its dimensions, arguing that the path forward to greater ecclesial maturity and wholeness is only through the nurturing and integration of all its seven dimensions.