Excerpt from The Peoria Christian, Vol. 1: September 10, 1915 With this issue begins the publica tion of our weekly church paper.' This is a new advent into the church life of Peoria. It is not the intention of the publishers to make this only a bulletin, but rather a small news paper, covering city, church and Bible School news, temperance and moral materials, and news notes connected with the local church affairs. It will be a big-little? Newspaper. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

"...not much has changed since Jesus gathered dust in the soles of his sandals on Palestinian soil. He is still the buzz at barber shops and corner cafes. He is still talked about and against. He pricks our curiosity, sparks our imagination, and even earns our ire. Who is he, really? You know he's no politician, but he still transforms nations. He's no social activist, but he is the genesis of who knows how many hospitals, orphanages, and innumerable acts of kindness. A psychotherapist? Hardly. But how many of us 'Humpty Dumpties' has he put back together again?! This peasant carpenter has built himself a kingdom immeasurably greater than his earthly enemies could have imagined. What are we to make of him? Please accept my deepest apologies right up front, for this book will not help answer that question. However, it may help answer this one: What is this man to make of me?"

The Shakers are perhaps the best known of American religious communities. Their ethos and organization had a practical influence on many other communities and on society as a whole. This three volume collection presents writings from a broad cross-section of those who opposed the Shakers and their way of life.

The Dictionary of Midwestern Literature, Volume One, surveys the lives and writings of nearly 400 Midwestern authors and identifies some of the most important criticism of their writings. The Dictionary is based on the belief that the literature of any region simultaneously captures the experience and influences the worldview of its people, reflecting as well as shaping the evolving sense of individual and collective identity, meaning, and values. Volume One presents individual lives and literary orientations and offers a broad survey of the Midwestern experience as expressed by its many diverse peoples over time.Philip A. Greasley's introduction fills in background information and describes the philosophy, focus, methodology, content, and layout of entries, as well as criteria for their inclusion. An extended lead-essay, "The Origins and Development of the Literature of the Midwest," by David D. Anderson, provides a historical, cultural, and literary context in which the lives and writings of individual authors can be considered.This volume is the first of an ambitious three-volume series sponsored by the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature and created by its members. Volume Two will provide similar coverage of non-author entries, such as sites, centers, movements, influences, themes, and genres. Volume Three will be a literary history of the Midwest. One goal of the series is to build understanding of the nature, importance, and influence of Midwestern writers and literature. Another is to provide information on writers from the early years of the Midwestern experience, as well as those now emerging, who are typically absent from existing reference works.