The Great Revival

The Great Revival
Author: John B. Boles
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 367
Release: 2021-12-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0813188474

Drawing upon the religious writings of southern evangelicals, John Boles asserts that the extraordinary crowds and miraculous transformations that distinguished the South's First Great Awakening were not simply instances of emotional excess but the expression of widespread and complex attitudes toward God. Converted southerners were starkly individualistic, interested more in gaining personal salvation in a hopelessly evil world than in improving society. As Boles shows in this landmark study, the effect of the Revival was to throw over the region a conservative cast that remains dominant in contemporary southern thought and life.

Richard McNemar

Richard McNemar
Author: Christian Goodwillie
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 332
Release: 2023-03-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0253065070

The first biography of a key and complex American religious figure of the nineteenth century, considered by many to be the "father of Shaker literature." Richard McNemar (1770–1839) led a remarkable life, replete with twists and turns that influenced American religions in many ways during the early nineteenth century. Beginning as a Presbyterian minister in the Midwest, he took his preaching and the practice of his congregation in a radically different, evangelical "free will" direction during the Kentucky Revival. A cornerstone of his New Light church in Ohio was spontaneous physical movement and exhortations. After Shaker missionaries arrived, McNemar converted and soon played a prominent role in expanding and raising public awareness of their religion by founding Shaker communities in the Midwest, becoming the first Shaker published author and the most prolific composer of Shaker hymns. Split between two opposing religious traditions—an evangelical movement attracting tens of thousands and Shakerism, which drew only hundreds to its villages—Richard McNemar's life poses a challenge for any biographer. Christian Goodwillie's mastery of the archival records surrounding McNemar and the Shakers allows him to tell McNemar's story in a way that fully captures the complexity of the man and the scope of his enduring legacy in American religious history.

Letters from a Young Shaker

Letters from a Young Shaker
Author: William S. Byrd
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2014-07-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0813148715

In the early nineteenth century, a young man belonging to the prominent Byrd family of Virginia, the grandson of William Byrd III, took up residence in the Shaker community at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. Over the next two years, 1826–1828, he wrote a series of letters to his father, a federal judge in Ohio, describing his experiences and his impressions of the United Society of Believers, as the Shakers were formally called. Eventually, William S. Byrd became a convert to the society and an advocate of its beliefs and practices. His letters—cut short by his father's death—offer today's reader an intimate view of communal life among the Shakers at a time of considerable turmoil in their village. In the correspondence of William S. Byrd, the Shaker experience is expressed in human terms and becomes a living faith. The letters also record the trials associated with conversion to a religion that was socially unacceptable to many Americans of the time. Some of their more poignant passages describe young Byrd's attempt to reconcile the tensions created by his membership in two families—the one of blood and the one of faith. Letters from a Young Shaker provides an unusually instructive commentary on life in a Shaker community, on the questions agitating the community, and on the appeal of Shakerism to Americans in the early nineteenth century. In addition to the letters, the book contains other documents bearing on William Byrd's relationship with the settlement at Pleasant Hill and an introduction placing him in the social and religious context of the period. This book will appeal to historian of American society and to anyone interested in the Shaker way of life.

The Shaker Communities of Kentucky

The Shaker Communities of Kentucky
Author: James W. Hooper
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2006
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780738542676

The Shaker Communities of Kentucky: Pleasant Hill and South Union presents the lives, struggles, and achievements of a remarkable people. The chronicle spans Shaker beginnings in England and relocation to America, the Great Awakening in America followed by the Kentucky Revival, Shaker beginnings in Kentucky, and the establishment of the South Union and Pleasant Hill Shaker villages. The Shaker central ministry sent missionaries to Kentucky from New York in 1805 after hearing about the Kentucky Revival, which culminated with the Cane Ridge Revival of 1801. Their efforts resulted in the establishment of villages in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Pleasant Hill and South Union were among the most successful and enduring of all the Shaker villages. This volume provides a striking visual portrayal of Shaker life by means of rare vintage images, including beliefs and worship, relationships with other believers and the world, and their highly regarded workmanship. Gradual decline resulted in the closing of both villages, but restorations have turned both sites into popular destinations. The Shaker Communities of Kentucky: Pleasant Hill and South Union presents the lives, struggles, and achievements of a remarkable people. The chronicle spans Shaker beginnings in England and relocation to America, the Great Awakening in America followed by the Kentucky Revival, Shaker beginnings in Kentucky, and the establishment of the South Union and Pleasant Hill Shaker villages. The Shaker central ministry sent missionaries to Kentucky from New York in 1805 after hearing about the Kentucky Revival, which culminated with the Cane Ridge Revival of 1801. Their efforts resulted in the establishment of villages in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Pleasant Hill and South Union were among the most successful and enduring of all the Shaker villages. This volume provides a striking visual portrayal of Shaker life by means of rare vintage images, including beliefs and worship, relationships with other believers and the world, and their highly regarded workmanship. Gradual decline resulted in the closing of both villages, but restorations have turned both sites into popular destinations.

Slavery and Freedom in the Bluegrass State

Slavery and Freedom in the Bluegrass State
Author: Gerald L. Smith
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 372
Release: 2023-02-21
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0813196175

Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home" has been designated as the official state song and performed at the Kentucky Derby for decades. In light of the ongoing social justice movement to end racial inequality, many have questioned whether the song should be played at public events, given its inaccurate depiction of slavery in the state. In Slavery and Freedom in the Bluegrass State, editor Gerald L. Smith presents a collection of powerful essays that uncover the long-forgotten stories of pain, protest, and perseverance of African Americans in Kentucky. Using the song and the museum site of My Old Kentucky Home as a central motif, the chapters move beyond historical myths to bring into sharper focus the many nuances of Black life. Chronologically arranged, they present fresh insights on topics such as the domestic slave trade, Black Shakers, rebellion and racial violence prior to the Civil War, Reconstruction, the fortitude of Black women as they pressed for political and educational equality, the intersection of race and sports, and the controversy over a historic monument. Taken as a whole, this groundbreaking collection introduces readers to the strategies African Americans cultivated to negotiate race and place within the context of a border state. Ultimately, the book gives voice to the thoughts, desires, and sacrifices of generations of African Americans whose stories have been buried in the past.