Roots of Appalachian Christianity

Appalachia's distinctive brand of Christianity has always been something of a puzzle to mainline American congregations. Often treated as pagan and unchurched, native Appalachian sects are labeled as ultraconservative, primitive, and fatalistic, and the actions of minority sub-groups such as "e;snake handlers"e; are associated with all worshippers in the region. Yet these churches that many regard...