The Airwaves of Zion: Radio and Religion in Appalachia, and: The Stonemans: An Appalachian Family and the Music That Shaped Their Lives (review)

Howard Dorgan. The Airwaves of Zion: Radio and Religion in Appalachia. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1993. Cloth: $31.95. Paperback: $18.95. Ivan M. Tribe. The Stonemans: An Appalachian Family and the Music That Shaped Their Lives. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1993. Music in American Life Series. 361 pages. Cloth: $44.95. Paperback: $16.95. Howard Dorgan, a professor of communications at Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, has already published two fine religious studies: Giving Glory to God in Appalachia: Worship Practices of Six Baptist Subdenominations (1987) and The Old Regular Baptists of Central Appalachia: Brothers and Sisters in Hope (1989). His new book examines the dwindling radio programs, sustained by the energy and meager funds of passionate local evangelists on small-town AM stations. As a speech teacher, Dorgan became interested in the religious rhetoric he heard over mountain radio stations when he first moved to the mountains from the Deep South. His interest soon included the variety of religious expression, which led to years of research on the history, theology, and general outlook of the people in the various churches. His is an objective yet sympathetic view, and his work, along with that of other scholars such as Jeff Titon and Deborah McCauley, has humanized some of the pernicious stereotypes about Appalachian religion. For many years what passed for scholarship on religious practices was done by outsiders, usually mainstream religious professionals, who quite often were appalled or threatened by what they observed. They tended to see Appalachian religion as substitute for something else that was lacking in Appalachian culture. Dorgan, and a few other scholars, are now attempting to understand what religion means to and does for those who practice it. In doing so, Dorgan has been able to put aside his own religious preference, biases, and values, and to seek understanding from the standpoint of the practitioners of religions. He has gained the confidence of those whom he has written about so that they have talked freely in his presence about their beliefs. In addition to his field studies, he has gathered the necessary background materials to establish a historical and theological basis for understanding disparate religious practice and belief. Rarely does a pejorative adjective creep into his narrative. Dorgan judiciously uses the term "Airways of Zion" to define the programs he analyzes. He points out that in Southern religion, Zion means "The City 64 of God," that is Heaven, to which we aspire. It is an Old Testament word, and its current meaning was presented by Paul in Hebrews 12: 22-23: But ye are come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly ferusalem, to the innumerable company of Angels. To the general assembly and the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect. The religious language of Appalachia abounds in reference to Zion, such as songs of Zion, city of Zion, words of Zion, waters of Zion, etc., and the faithful immediately know the meaning, for they have heard Zion as a metaphor for heaven all of their lives. "Airways of Zion" was coined by radio evangelists long before Dorgan became interested in their programs, and it ties an old poetic concept to a newer technology. The radio programs Dorgan writes about must not be confused with the big-time television evangelism that can be seen on cable networks today. They are low-budget. They are dwindling, but some have been on the air for twenty or thirty years, usually scheduled on Sundays by small-town AM stations that serve primarily a rural audience. They are the extensions of single preachers or family groups who pay for airtime with their own meager earnings and by asking their audience to chip in as well. Without the devotion of these preachers and singers, the programs would cease to exist. They are already endangered by changes, such as the proliferation of FM stations, the influx of people from elsewhere along with changing lifestyles that create new listener demands. For better or worse, the mountains are becoming part of the national mainstream, and...