Secular Spectacle
Performing Religion in a Southern Town
Chad E. Seales
256 pages | ~7 hrs
Secular Spectacle
Performing Religion in a Southern Town
By Chad E. Seales
Through the lens of one North Carolina town, Chad E. Seales reveals how religious and secular forces have shaped American community life in unexpected ways. In Secular Spectacle, readers discover how southern evangelical Protestants developed their own distinct approach to secularism, using it as a tool to define public spaces and community boundaries throughout the twentieth century.
This compelling exploration takes you into the heart of Siler City, where parades, protests, religious processions, and cultural displays became stages for deeper struggles over identity and belonging. Seales demonstrates how residents navigated the complex relationship between faith and civic life, particularly as their community faced industrialization, civil rights changes, and new waves of migration.
Drawing from both historical archives and contemporary fieldwork, the author examines how religious performances and secular practices intertwined to create what he calls "performative religion." You'll gain insight into how communities use both sacred and secular expressions to establish social order, respond to change, and maintain cultural identity.
For readers interested in understanding how spirituality intersects with social justice, community dynamics, and cultural transformation, this book offers a nuanced perspective on American religious life. Seales presents a thoughtful analysis of how faith communities engage with broader social forces, providing valuable insights for anyone seeking to understand the complex role of religion in public life.
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Säkularismus
- ✓ Explore Hispanic americans, history
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore Material culture
- ✓ Explore Religion
- ✓ Explore Secularism
- ✓ Explore Weiße
Topics
Details
- Published
- 2014
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press, Incorporated
- ISBN-13
- 9780199860289
- ISBN-10
- 0199860289
- Pages
- 256
- Language
- EN
