Pilgrims of Paradox

“This is among the most significant sociological studies of Calvinism since Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Peacock and Tyson present an engaging analysis of doctrine, history, and religious experience among southern Primitive Baptists, who are strict Calvinists with theological and historical roots in the English separatist tradition. … In sum, this book is a strong critique of Durkheimian and Weberian traditions in symbolic anthropology, as well as an elegantly crafted case study. It is certain to spark interest and controversy in disciplines ranging from theology to sociology and it makes a cogent argument for the development of closer ties between cultural anthropology and religious studies.” — Mark R. Woodward, American Anthropologist

“For the folklorist, the treatment of fieldwork is one of the most pleasant aspects of Pilgrims of Paradox. Peacock and Tyson speak not of informants but of hosts. And it was as guests, good guests, that they did their fieldwork. … This willingness to learn, not only about others but about themselves, is surely one of the major elements contributing to the success of these authors in their translation from academia to the field and in their translation of the field to academia.” — William Bernard McCarthy, Journal of American Folklore