Though many representations of Appalachian religious practices describe conservative, stagnant, xenophobic, and backward traditions, some authors present Christian practices in Appalachia as a potential source of social and individual progressiveness. Denise Giardina in Storming Heaven and The Unquiet Earth, Jim Wayne Miller in \"Brier Sermon: 'You Must Be Born Again,'\" and Lee Smith in Fair and Tender Ladies all represent \"mountain religion\" practices that offer relevancy not only to the characters in the novel but also to the reader. Analysis of these works through their symbolic representations of uniquely Appalachian religious traditions reveals the authors' commitment to sacralizing social and individual struggle through the sacred and mimetic transformations of characters and communities. By reusing and reinterpreting sacred patterns, both biblical and more contemporary regional patterns, the authors associate their works with sacred and regional traditions, demonstrating the viability, the flexibility, and the vitality of regional religious practices.
","abstract_html":"<p>Though many representations of Appalachian religious practices describe conservative, stagnant, xenophobic, and backward traditions, some authors present Christian practices in Appalachia as a potential source of social and individual progressiveness. Denise Giardina in <em>Storming Heaven</em> and <em>The Unquiet Earth</em>, Jim Wayne Miller in "Brier Sermon: 'You Must Be Born Again,'" and Lee Smith in <em>Fair and Tender Ladies</em> all represent "mountain religion" practices that offer relevancy not only to the characters in the novel but also to the reader. Analysis of these works through their symbolic representations of uniquely Appalachian religious traditions reveals the authors' commitment to sacralizing social and individual struggle through the sacred and mimetic transformations of characters and communities. By reusing and reinterpreting sacred patterns, both biblical and more contemporary regional patterns, the authors associate their works with sacred and regional traditions, demonstrating the viability, the flexibility, and the vitality of regional religious practices.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sanders, Adam K"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MALS (Master of Arts in Liberal Studies)","degree_level":"Thesis - restricted","degree_discipline":"Liberal Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005-05-07T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2005-05-07T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:43Z","subjects":["Appalachian","literature","religion","Lee Smith","Jim Wayne Miller","Denise Giardina","Arts and Humanities","English Language and Literature"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1009","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sanders, Adam K"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2005-05-07T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Liberal Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - restricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MALS (Master of Arts in Liberal Studies)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Appalachian","literature","religion","Lee Smith","Jim Wayne Miller","Denise Giardina","Arts and Humanities","English Language and Literature"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2166/viewcontent/SandersA041605f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1009"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Though many representations of Appalachian religious practices describe conservative, stagnant, xenophobic, and backward traditions, some authors present Christian practices in Appalachia as a potential source of social and individual progressiveness. Denise Giardina in Storming Heaven and The Unquiet Earth, Jim Wayne Miller in \"Brier Sermon: 'You Must Be Born Again,'\" and Lee Smith in Fair and Tender Ladies all represent \"mountain religion\" practices that offer relevancy not only to the characters in the novel but also to the reader. Analysis of these works through their symbolic representations of uniquely Appalachian religious traditions reveals the authors' commitment to sacralizing social and individual struggle through the sacred and mimetic transformations of characters and communities. By reusing and reinterpreting sacred patterns, both biblical and more contemporary regional patterns, the authors associate their works with sacred and regional traditions, demonstrating the viability, the flexibility, and the vitality of regional religious practices.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Mimetic Transformations of Sacred Symbols: Christianity in Appalachian Literature."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Sanders, Adam K"],"dc:date.issued":["2005-05-07T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Though many representations of Appalachian religious practices describe conservative, stagnant, xenophobic, and backward traditions, some authors present Christian practices in Appalachia as a potential source of social and individual progressiveness. Denise Giardina in Storming Heaven and The Unquiet Earth, Jim Wayne Miller in \"Brier Sermon: 'You Must Be Born Again,'\" and Lee Smith in Fair and Tender Ladies all represent \"mountain religion\" practices that offer relevancy not only to the characters in the novel but also to the reader. Analysis of these works through their symbolic representations of uniquely Appalachian religious traditions reveals the authors' commitment to sacralizing social and individual struggle through the sacred and mimetic transformations of characters and communities. By reusing and reinterpreting sacred patterns, both biblical and more contemporary regional patterns, the authors associate their works with sacred and regional traditions, demonstrating the viability, the flexibility, and the vitality of regional religious practices.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2166/viewcontent/SandersA041605f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1009"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Appalachian","literature","religion","Lee Smith","Jim Wayne Miller","Denise Giardina","Arts and Humanities","English Language and Literature"],"dc:title":["Mimetic Transformations of Sacred Symbols: Christianity in Appalachian Literature."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Liberal Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - restricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MALS (Master of Arts in Liberal Studies)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:43Z"}