About the Author

Elder John Sparks is an ordained minister of the United Baptist Church and graduate of Pikeville College.

Reviews

Argues for the importance of the eighteenth-century traveling preacher in establishing Appalachian Christianity as a distinctive, populist movement.... Well-told. - Publishers Weekly; ""Brings the legend of Shubal Stearns, the man who evangelized the South, to life.... Sparks has opened the door for important scholarly debate and subsequent research."" - Journal of Southern Religion; ""This is a special kind of book, written by a person mostly within the religious traditions discussed, and as such it has a distinct viewpoint and sense of authority."" - Journal of Southern History; ""Sparks has established himself as one of the leading scholars in the study of Appalachian religion."" - Appalachian Journal