Religion in Mississippi

This book traces the introduction of Christianity to Mississippi by French settlers in the 1600s, detailing the shift from dominant Roman Catholicism to a predominantly Protestant and evangelical landscape by the 20th century. Randy J. Sparks explores the rise of evangelical Christianity, its initial liberal fervor, and its transformation into archconservatism after the Civil War, leading to the emergence of a separate black church. The narrative also examines how other religious groups like Jews, Catholics, and Mormons navigated their identities within a society increasingly dominated by white Protestant conservatives, revealing the inherent conflicts between faith and societal norms.