About the book
In the summer of 1872, a white doctor and a formerly enslaved African American farmer walked through a field near Newton Grove, North Carolina, and mapped out the dimensions of a new clapboard church. The men, John Carr Monk and Solomon Monk, had been raised together on a nearby plantation. While neighbors attended newly segregated Protestant congregations, the Monks converted to Catholicism, which offered a framework of racial universalism. Alongside the church, the parish ran parochial schools for the area’s Black and white children long before state public schools existed. But visits from night riders emphasized the congregation’s risk to the social order. Despite these threats and others, the church used their common theology and local history to navigate the nativism of the 1920s and the bishop’s decision to segregate. Then, in 1953, the church community reintegrated.
While the parish was far from a utopia, it embraced the daily struggle to embody the true church that its founders believed God desired. Drawing from archives, ethnographic observations, and the living histories of parish members, Susan B. Ridgely offers a rich understanding of the ongoing interplay of race, religion, and rural life in this parish, in North Carolina, and in the United States.
Editions of One True Church
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469694580
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469694597
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469685335
- PDF
- ISBN 9781469694603
Read an Excerpt
In the summer of 1872, a white doctor and a formerly enslaved African American farmer walked through a field near Newton Grove, North Carolina, and mapped out the dimensions of a new clapboard church. The men, John Carr Monk and Solomon Monk, had been raised together on a nearby plantation. While neighbors attended newly segregated Protestant congregations, the Monks converted to Catholicism, which offered a framework of racial universalism. Alongside the church, the parish ran parochial schools for the area’s Black and white children long before state public schools existed. But visits from night riders emphasized the congregation’s risk to the social order. Despite these threats and others, the church used their common theology and local history to navigate the nativism of the 1920s and the bishop’s decision to segregate. Then, in 1953, the church community reintegrated.
While the parish was far from a utopia, it embraced the daily struggle to embody the true church that its founders believed God desired. Drawing from archives, ethnographic observations, and the living histories of parish members, Susan B. Ridgely offers a rich understanding of the ongoing interplay of race, religion, and rural life in this parish, in North Carolina, and in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is One True Church about?
In the summer of 1872, a white doctor and a formerly enslaved African American farmer walked through a field near Newton Grove, North Carolina, and mapped out the dimensions of a new clapboard church. The men, John Carr Monk and Solomon Monk, had been raised together on a nearby plantation. While neighbors attended newly segregated Protestant congregations, the Monks converted to Catholicism, which offered a framework of racial universalism. Alongside the church, the parish ran parochial schools for the area’s Black and white children long before state public schools existed. But visits from night riders emphasized the congregation’s risk to the social order. Despite these threats and others, the church used their common theology and local history to navigate the nativism of the 1920s and the bishop’s decision to segregate. Then, in 1953, the church community reintegrated.
While the parish was far from a utopia, it embraced the daily struggle to embody the true church that its founders believed God desired. Drawing from archives, ethnographic observations, and the living histories of parish members, Susan B. Ridgely offers a rich understanding of the ongoing interplay of race, religion, and rural life in this parish, in North Carolina, and in the United States.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in One True Church?
Philosophy and Religion > Religion and beliefs > Christianity
Where can I read a sample of One True Church?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469694580
How long is One True Church and how many pages does it have?
One True Church has 210 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book One True Church?
Susan B. Ridgely
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
One True Church is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469694580) and paperback(ISBN 9781469694597) and ebook(ISBN 9781469685335) and pdf(ISBN 9781469694603)
Where can I buy One True Church online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy One True Church?