"This meticulously researched study reveals how the localism inherent
among Baptists carries over into political attitudes and involvement.
Grammich's 'bible-based' Baptist sectarians also show how diverse
Baptists really are and how strong and enduring a social ethic many
smaller Baptist groups have cultivated."--Charles H. Lippy, University
of Tennessee, Chattanooga
This provocative book explores the political views and actions of
religious adherents who claim to base their faith on a literal
interpretation of the Bible. Focusing on several small Baptist sects
scattered throughout the middle and uplands South, Clifford Grammich
finds that these groups are often highly engaged politically at the
local level. He thus challenges the traditional view of these Baptists
as politically aloof, concerned only with matters of faith and personal
conduct.
Grammich shows that the politics arising from these groups' religious
beliefs are not those of any consistent, pervasive ideology. Rather, he
argues, such politics more often reflect a series of adaptations to
local circumstances. Among the sects that he studies, there is a strong
emphasis on the local authority to interpet the Bible and, thus, to
shape religious commands to very specific conditions. Beyond the broad
concerns of preserving the traditional family and curbing excessive
worldliness, these Baptists are free to adapt their theology to meet
their particular needs--and can often do so more readily than those
belonging to more hierarchical churches. Since these people are
typically more rural, more southern, less educated, and less affluent
than most Americans, the author notes, they can face special problems in
dealing with modernity--problems that their religion helps them address.
The book includes two case studies that show in depth both the
possiblities and limitations of politics within these groups. In a local
labor struggle in Tennessee, Baptist sectarians were able to generate
more religious support for a United Mine Workers local than was offered
by the usual supporters of organized labor in other churches. On the
other hand, in an environmental conflict in Kentucky, these Baptists'
traditional community concerns inhibited their participation in a
broader reform movement.
Relating the beliefs and actions of the "local Baptists" to various
larger themes--including those of cultural traditionalism, economic
populism, and increasing affluence--Grammich offers a valuable study of
the complex ways in which religious faith can affect political
involvement. His book will effect a new understanding of American
fundamentalism itself.
The Author: Clifford A. Grammich Jr. is director of research at
Heartland Center, a social research institute in Hammond, Indiana.
