Bøger udgivet af Mercer University Press

The American image of Alabama during the 1960s could be summed up by two distinct, and seemingly disconnected, images: Birmingham''s Bull Connor targeting hoses against civil rights marchers and Coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant guiding University of Alabama football to three national championships during the decade. By the end of the 1960s, however, both images had faded. Birmingham solved the worst of its civil rights problems and began to move into the modern era. Alabama football, on the other hand, appeared mired in mediocrity. Back to back 6-5 seasons suggested that Bear Bryant and his program could not adapt to the modern, integrated era of Southeastern Conference (SEC) football. The football program came under attack by its own university when the Afro-American Student Association sued the famous coach and the athletic department for not recruiting black athletes. While this suit was eventually dropped in federal district court, the message was clear. The University of Alabama had to recruit black athletes with the same fervor as white ones. Bryant''s era seemed as dead as that of Bull Connor and the rabid segregationists. The year 1971, however, changed everything in Alabama football. This book examines why the team waned in the late 1960s and how was it revived in the 1970s. Read within the context of the social and political changes of the Civil Rights Movement, John David Briley''s book is more than a history of a successful team; it also examines in detail, with probing interviews and extant manuscript sources, the internal process of cultural changes at Alabama that helped produce the team''s and the coach''s resurgence. This book is for anyone interested in sports, football, or civil rights.

Experimentation and Versatility considers Chappell''s first four novels and his short fiction-the novels chronologically and the short stories thematically-in order to demonstrate the unique range and importance of his fictional prose. Rather than inserting Chappell''s fictional variables into a single theoretical formula, Clabough traces and celebrates their various and multifaceted excursions into genres as disparate as Appalachian pastoralism and experimental science fiction. Containing both an interview with Chappell and a previously unpublished short story, Experimentation and Versatility also offers new primary sources on Chappell''s work, even as it contextualizes him as one of our most exciting and multi-talented contemporary writers. Investigating the complexities of Chappell''s work, Clabough''s study offers new ways of considering Chappell, who has been characterized variously as a Appalachian, Southern, and fantasy writer. However, as Clabough demonstrates, he is, in fact, all and none of these things-a writer of immense gifts constantly reinventing himself through his experiments in seemingly disparate genres.

This book is about war's impact on the religious faith of individual Confederate Christian soldiers. The tribulations of war drove these men to new spiritual heights; and after the war, these men took up leadership positions in their postwar churches. This study closely traces the spiritual progression of individual Christian soldiers. Thousands of Southern Christians enlisted in the rebel armies when the Civil War began, and tens of thousands of battle-hardened fighting men made wartime professions of faith. On the whole, these soldiers became more religious as the war progressed, but what was the long-term effect of four years of war and defeat on the faith of Christian soldiers? The stories of the nine individuals studied in this book vividly illustrate the impact of the Civil War on faith. This study includes an examination of the antebellum, wartime, and in most cases, postwar lives of these men who represent a cross-section of Southern society, Southern religion, and the Confederate military. The tribulations of war drove them to new spiritual heights and greater maturity. Early on as well as throughout the war, these steadfast Christians read their Bibles, associated with other Christian soldiers, attended religious services, and communed privately with God. During times of increased military activity, the threat of death and concern for loved ones crowded the soldiers' minds. The realization that they had little control over these matters moved these men to rely on God to protect them and their families; and God proved faithful, thus strengthening their trust in Him. Furthermore, these men grew in their emulation of the virtues of Christ. Not only did they become morespiritual-minded, but also their worship took on new significance, they exhibited more humility, and they sought to serve God more actively. It was during the postwar era, however, that these Christian veterans fulfilled formal roles as the Lord's servants. The men in this study who survived the war returned home and took up leadership positions in their local churches, where they served faithfully until their deaths.

From the outset, the 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters had problems. Much of the trouble lay in the organization of Civil War regiments and companies. Most companies in the early years of the war were made up of men from the same town or county. The concept of the sharpshooters was alien to this home-town tradition. Men were asked to leave the comfortable companionship of their neighbors and friends and go into a unit with people they had never met before. Despite its uncertain beginning, the battalion was molded into a fine unit by the skill and energy of its officers and non-commissioned officers. The sharpshooters early won the praise of higher-level commanders and inspecting officers. However, as the war dragged on, the battalion was reduced in numbers, morale, and efficiency. Notwithstanding its poor performance in the last months of its life, the unit has a high reputation that was well deserved. A Civil War veteran and historian called the sharpshooters "one of the best-drilled and most-efficient battalions in the service." This book objectively examines the organization, leadership, and performance of the sharpshooters, follows their wartime experiences, and devotes considerable attention to the individual soldiers. If the story of the 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters has not been a well known story, it is now.

The letters of Sergeant Major Marion Hill Fitzpatrick, soldier in the 45th Georgia Regiment in the Army of Northern Virginia, have been around for two decades in a private family printing, but are now published for the first time complete with annotations. Fitzpatrick wrote his wife Amanda over one hundred letters, frequently describing both the horror of combat and the deplorable conditions of hospitals. Fighting the corps of A. P. Hill, Fitzpatrick, an extremely literate individual, reveals his loyalty for the Confederacy and most of all to his family. His letters reveal a man who longed to be home with his beloved wife and their newborn son. These letters testify to the humanity, courage, and dedication of the civil war soldier.

The International Kierkegaard Commentary-For the first time in English the world community of scholars systematically assembled and presented the results of recent research in the vast literature of S├╕ren Kierkegaard. Based on the definitive English edition of Kierkegaard''s works by Princeton University Press, this series of commentaries addresses all the published texts of the influential Danish philosopher and theologian. This is volume 5 in a series of commentaries based upon the definitive translations of Kierkegaard''s writings published by Princeton University Press, 1980ff.

Walking toward the Sunset is a historical examination of the Melungeons, a mixed-race group predominantly in southern Appalachia. Author Wayne Winkler reviews theories about the Melungeons, compares the Melungeons with other mixed-race groups, and incorporates the latest scientific research to present a comprehensive portrait. In his telling portrait, Winkler examines the history of the Melungeons and the ongoing controversy surrounding their mysterious origins. Employing historical records, news reports over almost two centuries, and personal interviews, Winkler tells the fascinating story of a people who did not fit the rigid racial categories of American society. Along the way, Winkler recounts the legal and social restrictions suffered by Melungeons and other mixed-race groups, particularly Virginia's 1924 Racial Integrity Act, and he reviews the negative effects of nineteenth- and twentieth-century magazine and journal articles on these reclusive people. Walking toward the Sunset documents the changes in public and private attitudes toward the Melungeons, the current debates over “Melungeon” identity, and the recent genetic studies that have attempted to shed light on the subject. But most importantly, Winkler relates the lives of families who were outsiders in their own communities, who were shunned and shamed, but who created a better life for their children, descendants who are now reclaiming the heritage that was hidden from them for generations.

Thomas R. R. Cobb (1823-1862), a Georgia jurist who, perhaps more than any other one person, influenced the form that the "second revolution" took in Georgia (1860-1861), has been described as a prototype of a Southern intellectual. A product of the "Old South," Cobb's influence upon national events (up to and during the Civil War, especially in Georgia) was considerable. Cobb was a "representative Southerner" whose ideas "expressed the trends then current in Southern thought." This investigation of the life and influence of Thomas R. R. Cobb provides significant insight into the attitudes of his time. Cobb's multifaceted involvements -- in legal, educational, and moral reform; revivalism; the "positive good defense" of slavery; secession; and the Civil War -- make him a doubly interesting important figure worthy of serious investigation. The present study is just such a serious, well-researched, and well-written investigation of Cobb, and amply provides further insight into the life and times of that "Late Great Unpleasantness" (secession and Civil War) that is such an important part of the history of the United States.

Samuel A. Burney, born in April 1840, was the son of Thomas Jefferson Burney and Julia Shields Burney. He graduated from Mercer University (then at Penfield, Georgia) in 1860. He joined the Panola Guards, an infantry component of Thomas R. R. Cobb''s Georgia Legion, in July 1861. For the next four years he served in the Army of Northern Virginia both in Virginia and in Tennessee. Burney was wounded at Chancellorsville in May 1863, and as a result of his wound he was placed in disability in March 1864 and served the remainder of the war on commissary duty in southwest Georgia. After the war, Burney returned to Mercer''s school of theology, was ordained into the Baptist ministry, and served as pastor of several churches in Morgan County. He was pastor of the Madison Baptist Church until shortly before his death in 1896. These letters of a college graduate written to his wife, Sarah Elizabeth Shepherd Burney are lyrical and beautifully written. Burney describes battles, camp life, theology, and the day-to-day dreariness of life in the army. This is an astounding collection of letters for anyone interested in the Civil War, or the South.

In Taking Up Serpents: A History of Snake Handling Kimbrough explains the history and practice of serpent-handling believers from the perspective of a respectful and scholarly participant-observer. While this is a story of Kimbrough's experiences with the Saylor family of Eastern Kentucky, Kimbrough explains the origins of serpent handling as they emerged in the teachings of George Hensley of the Grasshopper community near Cleveland, Tennessee. Churches that practice snake-handling have dotted the Appalachian mountains for over 100 years, but not until now has their story been so consistently and faithfully written by an author who is both a participant-observer and a Ph.D. historian. Having an Appalachian background himself, David Kimbrough studied, observed, participated with, and befriended many individuals in this unique expression of faith: the handling of snakes. This activity is understood not as a test of God's care and protection, but in fulfillment of the command of Jesus himself, that if done in his name then no harm would come to them. The exception to this is if the person is not right with God, then injury and/or death could follow. It was a test of the person's faith. Believing wholeheartedly that such an act was not only appropriate but commanded, churches practicing the handling of snakes and the drinking of poisons have often been labeled as cultic in nature, but, according to Kimbrough, nothing could be further from the truth. These are people who truly believe in taking the words of the New Testament seriously. This wonderfully-researched and engrossing book is the most complete account of the people and the churches that practice the handling of snakes in their worship of God.

The International Kierkegaard Commentary-For the first time in English the world community of scholars systematically assembled and presented the results of recent research in the vast literature of S├╕ren Kierkegaard. Based on the definitive English edition of Kierkegaard''s works by Princeton University Press, this series of commentaries addresses all the published texts of the influential Danish philosopher and theologian. This is volume 2 in a series of commentaries based upon the definitive translations of Kierkegaard''s writings published by Princeton University Press, 1980ff.

This collection of essays emerged from a symposium held at Mercer University which examined the ways in which W. E. B. Du Bois''s theories of race have shaped racial discussion and public policy in the twentieth-century. The essays also examine the application of Du Bois''s theories to the new millennium, as well as his contributions to the study of the humanities.

The newest book in Mercer University Press' new series The Melungeons: History, Culture, Ethnicity, and Literature is North from the Mountains: A Folk History of the Carmel Melungeon Settlement, Highland County, Ohio by John S. Kessler and Donald B. Ball. It is the first substantive study of the Carmel Melungeon settlement since 1950. Tracing their history from about 1700, this book contains extensive firsthand information to be found in no other source, and relates the Carmel population to the Melungeons and similar mixed-blood populations originating in the Mid-Atlantic coastal region. This study combines a review of documentary evidence, extensive firsthand observations of the group, and information gleaned from area informants and a visit to the Carmel area. The senior author, until about age eighteen, was a resident of a community nearby, hence the personal insight and perspective into the lifestyle and inter- and intrarelationships of the group.

In 1862, Private Grant Taylor of the 40th Alabama Infantry regiment began writing home to his wife Malinda. Thus started an almost three year correspondence of some 160 letters that chronicle the impact of the American Civil War on one rural Alabama family. For the Taylors and their kin, the war brought precious little glory or sentimental notions of causes won or lost. Their rough prose provides more evidence of the downside of the Civil War experience that is historically significant and emotionally touching.

The International Kierkegaard Commentary-For the first time in English the world community of scholars systematically assembled and presented the results of recent research in the vast literature of S├╕ren Kierkegaard. Based on the definitive English edition of Kierkegaard''s works by Princeton University Press, this series of commentaries addresses all the published texts of the influential Danish philosopher and theologian. This is volume 12 in a series of commentaries based upon the definitive translations of Kierkegaard''s writings published by Princeton University Press, 1980ff.

On the night of February 8th, 1968, officers of the law opened fire on protesting students on the campus of South Carolina State College at Orangeburg. This tragedy was the first of its kind on any American college campus and became known as the Orangeburg Massacre.

A manifesto of a forgotten people. Kennedy's memoir of discovery is personal and historical, cultural, and autobiographical.

The International Kierkegaard Commentary-For the first time in English the world community of scholars systematically assembled and presented the results of recent research in the vast literature of Søren Kierkegaard. Based on the definitive English edition of Kierkegaard's works by Princeton University Press, this series of commentaries addresses all the published texts of the influential Danish philosopher and theologian. This is volume 7 in a series of commentaries based upon the definitive translations of Kierkegaard's writings published by Princeton University Press, 1980ff.

In Either/Or, Part One, Kierkegaard presents what he calls the aesthetic form of life. There he focuses on a large variety of the stereotypical views of women, from a sentimental and whining appraisal of her position in the world, through the view that sexual exploitation is an uncontrollable natural instinct and/or drive for which men are not morally responsible, to the view that woman is a jest, not to be taken seriously as a moral and responsible being, and then that she is just there as a sexual object or plaything to be reflectively seduced on the male's terms and for his pleasure or rejection, whatever suits him at the moment. Needless to say, this great variety of views of the "uses" of woman has provoked a large critique, and just as predictably, that critique is as varied as the intellectual tools available for the analysis of a work that is as literary as it is philosophic. The present collection of essays treats these and many other of the most important issues raised in Either/Or in fresh and perceptive ways. Even where familiar themes are argued, the authors introduce innovative interpretive models, new approaches and new materials are appealed to, or new rebuttal arguments against previously held positions are offered. Several of the articles, for instance, appropriate or criticize methods or insights derived from postmodernism and/or feminist philosophy, an approach that would have been unlikely two decades ago.

The International Kierkegaard Commentary-For the first time in English the world community of scholars systematically assembled and presented the results of recent research in the vast literature of S├╕ren Kierkegaard. Based on the definitive English edition of Kierkegaard''s works by Princeton University Press, this series of commentaries addresses all the published texts of the influential Danish philosopher and theologian. This is volume 13 in a series of commentaries based upon the definitive translations of Kierkegaard''s writings published by Princeton University Press, 1980ff.

The International Kierkegaard Commentary-For the first time in English the world community of scholars systematically assembled and presented the results of recent research in the vast literature of Søren Kierkegaard. Based on the definitive English edition of Kierkegaard's works by Princeton University Press, this series of commentaries addresses all the published texts of the influential Danish philosopher and theologian. This is volume 14 in a series of commentaries based upon the definitive translations of Kierkegaard's writings published by Princeton University Press, 1980ff.

For centuries the Jewish community in Europe possessed a copy of Matthew in the Hebrew language. The Jews' use of this document during the Middle Ages is imperfectly known. Occasionally excerpts from it appeared in polemical writings against Christianity.

The International Kierkegaard Commentary-For the first time in English the world community of scholars systematically assembled and presented the results of recent research in the vast literature of Søren Kierkegaard. Based on the definitive English edition of Kierkegaard's works by Princeton University Press, this series of commentaries addresses all the published texts of the influential Danish philosopher and theologian. This is volume 6 in a series of commentaries based upon the definitive translations of Kierkegaard's writings published by Princeton University Press, 1980ff.