Interracialism and Christian community in the postwar South

the long version

When one thinks of southern religion, two images usually spring to mind: rigidly separated black and white congregations and a Bible Belt dominated by conservative white Protestant Christianity. Yet beginning in the postwar years and culminating in the civil rights movement, there were black and white Christians and activists seeking ways to create a "beloved community" based on racial equality. In Interracialism and Christian Community in the Postwar South, Tracy Elaine K'Meyer looks at one such effort, Koinonia Farm, an interracial Christian cooperative founded in 1942 by two white Baptist ministers in southwest Georgia. K'Meyer provides a compelling portrait of Koinonia Farm during its period of greatest influence, from its early 1940s origins in the mind of its principal founder, Clarence Jordan, to its metamorphosis into Koinonia Partners in 1968. Its story touches upon three themes in southern history - religion, race relations, and community - and challenges common understandings of each. In particular, this book contributes to the literature on the early civil rights movement, white liberalism, and interracialism and presents a fascinating case of religious belief informing progressive social action.