Judgment and Grace in Dixie: Southern Faiths from Faulkner to Elvis

by Charles Reagan Wilson, Tom Rankin (Photographer), Susan B. Lee (Photographer)

Religion has permeated nearly every aspect of modern southern culture, with results that range from portraits of Jesus on black velvet to the soul-stirring orations of Martin Luther King Jr. In Judgment and Grace in Dixie , Charles Reagan Wilson makes a lively appraisal of religion's influence on such expressions of regional life as literature, music, and folk art, as well as on such public spectacles as football games and beauty pageants.

Wilson's focus is on popular religion―evangelical Protestantism as embraced at the grassroots level, where distinctions between the sacred and secular are blurred and belief in the supernatural remains strong. As he traces the development and meaning of popular religion and pop culture, Wilson ranges widely across a spiritual landscape rich in iconic accumulations of people, places, events, and artifacts―church fans and Elvis Presley memorabilia, the painting of Howard Finster and the songs of Hank Williams, the Scopes trial and the death of Bear Bryant.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Spirituality

234 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1995

Reviews

[Adriana Gogioiu]

probably in between 2 or 3 stars... some of the essays were very enlightening but many were shallow... written in the 80s so am curious to see what's been happening in the field since then- I'm sure this book kicked off some of those discussions... he lowkey said some stupid stuff in the second to last essay that made me resent the collection which I probably wouldn't have if i didn't read the second to last essay

[Amy Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book was far too wide in scope and kinda disconnected. It's a collection of essays from a long period of time, so his style is slightly inconsistent, and the argument is not as consistent.

[Scotty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent perspective of religion in the South. It is important for understanding southern culture.