In the popular imagination the picture of slavery; frozen in time; is one of huge cotton plantations and opulent mansions. However; in over a hundred years of history detailed in this book; the hard reality of slavery in Mississippi's antebellum world is strikingly different from the one of popular myth. It shows that Mississippi's past was never frozen; but always fluid. It shows too that slavery took a number of shapes before its form in the late antebellum mold became crystalized for popular culture.The colonial French introduced African slaves into this borderlands region situated on the periphery of French; Spanish; and English empires. In this frontier; planter society made unsuccessful attempts to produce tobacco; lumber; and indigo. Slavery outlasted each failed harvest. Through each era plantation culture rode the back of a system far removed from the romantic stereotype.Almost simultaneously as Mississippi became a United States territory in the 1790s; cotton became the cash crop. The booming King Cotton economy changed Mississippi and adapted the slave system that was its foundation.Some Mississippi slaves resisted this grim oppression and rebelled by flight; work slowdowns; arson; and conspiracies. In 1835 a slave conspiracy in Madison County provoked such draconian response among local slave holders that planters throughout the state redoubled the iron locks on the system. Race relations in the state remained radicalized for many generations to follow.Beginning with the arrival of the first African slaves in the colony and extending over 115 years; this book is the first such history since Charles Sydnor's Slavery in Mississippi (1933).
#1368534 in Books NavPress 2008-02-29 2008-01-16Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.25 x .75 x 5.50l; .88 #File Name: 1600062474320 pagesGreat product!
Review
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful. Get ready to worship!By D. VanDykeWow. What a great book! A friend passed this along to me because he knew I was deeply concerned about the teachings of Rob Bell; Brian McLaren and the like. I was hoping for a cogent; compelling; biblical debunking of the emergent movement. What I got was so much more. Stoner has managed to write a book that first and foremost introduces you to the sheer glory of God. With powerful; poetic; prophetic language he helps you to see the terrifying; infinitely loving; worship-worthy reality of the God who has revealed himself in Scripture. This is not only the perfect prescription for the man-centered errors of the emergent church; it was unexpectedly sweet medicine for the subtle cynicism of my own heart. I found myself not only agreeing but worshiping. While Stoner is clearly sympathetic to many of the questions and concerns of the emergent church; he shows that the tragedy of our day; Emergent and Evangelical alike; is that our God and our gospel is simply too small. With compelling; colorful; poetic language he calls us back to a truly God-glorifying; gospel-saturated worldview and lifestyle.This is great writing. It feels like you are sitting on the back porch having an immensely enjoyable conversation with a really smart; funny; godly man. His story of getting caught by his strict missionary parents in a dusty Chilean movie theatre made me laugh out loud. His description of Jesus quieting the waters ("Calm down! Now!") made me see my Lord with new eyes as one who insisted on walking this earth "as if he owned it".This is a book for everyone simply because we all need to be challenged by the reality of God as he is - a God who smokes.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Weird Title but a Great Book!By T. SeagravesNavPress sent me this book about six months ago to read and review and I have had a tough time trying to figure out what to say about it. Not because it has nothing to say; but because it has so much to say that I don't know how to review it in just a few words. I must say that since receiving this book I have devoured it.Yes; this book does have a funny title by a guy named Stoner; but you will realize quickly that his play on words is serious. This is a book about how out of control God is; out of our control; that is. He is passionate; compelling and dangerous; Yes; I did say dangerous. This book reminds us that we're in the middle of a battle; and while God is good; He is not safe.Stoner does a great job of exposing the Emergent Church movement and reminding us that when it comes to God's standards; there is to be no compromise. He looks at what Rob Bell has to say in his book Velvet Elvis and compares it to what the Bible says; and I think his conclusions will upset many Bell followers; but you can't argue with Scripture.So; do we as a church need to engage the culture? Yes. But; not at the expense of God's standards. All I can say is that you should read this book. The fact that it is written by a lay-person and not a "theologian" was also very refreshing. This is one of those books that can change the way you think about a lot of things if you will let it.I do have one criticism for the author. He makes a brief mention of Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle. It sounds like from his footnote on page 281 that he thinks Driscoll and Bell are part of the same church; just in different cities. Make no mistake about it; the only similarity between Driscoll and Bell is the name of their churches. That is where it ends. Mr. Stoner; if you see this; please note these guys are in no way connected.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR; Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An Attention Catching Title for a Captivating BookBy David SchlottmanTimothy J. Stoner is a conundrum for me. Having a some similarity in backgrounds; I found it easy in some respects to relate to his thoughts about how we worship and follow Christ. However; I would characterize this author as anything but typical. I found myself often curious at how he would surprise me by his responses or assessments. I think that is part of the appeal of his writing. You have a difficult time putting him in a box; which is how he describes God.Stoner holds to reformed theology and believes strongly in a sovereign God. He is also a strong advocate of social justice; particularly when it concerns orphans around the world. I think you would have a difficult time pinning a particular label politically on him; but you definitely understand his theological positions as he writes throughout the book.There were two chapters in particular which impacted me the most: Chapter 11 - Dancing in the Dark and Chapter 13 - David's Dance. The first one deals with realizing the God-giving gifts and potential that lies at the core of our being. The latter discusses through Stoner's own personal experiences; how the love of Christ in a believer goes beyond sin and uncomfortable lifestyle choices and to the heart of relationships - particularly difficult ones.While this book is characterized as a response to questions surrounding the Emergent Church; I came away from reading it feeling like Stoner ruffled some of my feathers and caused me to think about some issues in my own life in a deeper way. I highly recommend this book as a very good read; particularly if you appreciate having someone lightly jar your thoughts and opinions.
