Between Heaven and Russia - Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia

Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Appalachia, this book examines conversion to Russian Orthodoxy and political alignment with Russian conservative politics by contemporary rural American citizens.

List of contents

Preface | xi

List of Abbreviations and Terms | xv

Introduction: East of Appalachia: The New Russian Turn in American Christianity | 1

1 Foreign Faith in a Foreign Land: A Discursive History of the Russian Orthodox Church in the United States | 23

2 Church of God: Traditionalism, Authenticity, and Conversion to Russian Orthodoxy in Appalachia | 37

3 America the Beautiful: Of Guns, God, and Vodka | 64

4 Port of the Tsar: Material Monarchism and the End of Days | 82

5 Palace of Putin: Political Ideologies in Orthodox Appalachia | 107

6 A People Set Apart: Intra-Community Politics and Regionalism | 135

7 The "Holler Feast": Spiritual Geographies and Temporalities | 161

Conclusion: In Soviet America, Russia Converts You! | 179

Epilogue | 185

Acknowledgments | 195

Notes | 199

Works Cited | 249

Index | 275

About the author

Sarah Riccardi-Swartz

Summary

Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Appalachia, this book examines conversion to Russian Orthodoxy and political alignment with Russian conservative politics by contemporary rural American citizens.

Product details

• Authors: Sarah Riccardi-Swartz
• Publisher: Fordham University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.04.2022
• EAN: 9780823299492
• ISBN: 978-0-8232-9949-2
• No. of pages: 277
• Series: Orthodox Christianity and Contemporary Thought; Orthodox Christianity and Cont
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Religion: general, reference works; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education