{"product_id":"crimes-of-preachers-in-the-united-states-and-canada","title":"Crimes of Preachers in the United States and Canada","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat happens when the people trusted to guide a community become the subjects of accusation?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Crimes of Preachers in the United States and Canada, M. E. Billings challenges clerical authority from within the freethought tradition. The book belongs to a world of lecturers, newspapers and small publishers arguing against church influence in public life after the American Civil War.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt its heart are questions of trust and power. Ministers hold moral authority and enter homes, families and private troubles. Collections of this kind gather reports of wrongdoing to challenge that authority. Billings argues one side, making the reliability of sources a vital question to keep beside you as you read.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eInside this book\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe freethought movement\u003c\/strong\u003e – Explore the North American setting in which critics openly contest the influence of organized religion.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA catalogue of cases\u003c\/strong\u003e – Consider how collections of reported incidents build an argument against the authority of ministers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTrust and power\u003c\/strong\u003e – Reflect on what is at stake when communities place moral trust in their pastors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClerical authority under scrutiny\u003c\/strong\u003e – Meet a sharply critical perspective on the gap between religious authority and reported conduct.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReading with care\u003c\/strong\u003e – Keep source reliability in view as you weigh a work that argues one side.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers curious about religious controversy, freethought and the press in North America, rather than those seeking a balanced study of clergy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpen the first page now and explore this challenge to clerical power with a questioning mind.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Library of Alexandria Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59534607876444,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/9442\/8764\/files\/01181_en_ebook-front_c24.jpg?v=1792174951","url":"https:\/\/libraryofalexandria.com\/products\/crimes-of-preachers-in-the-united-states-and-canada","provider":"The Library of Alexandria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}