I grew up around Americus, and Quiros has captured something I remember well: a community in flux and the tension between neighbors over issues of race and religion. The people and scenes are vivid and the story well told. Additionally, it captures something dear to me—the power found in Christian theology.—President Jimmy Carter



This outstanding book tells a new story of the civil rights movement in southwest Georgia, inflecting the national and regional conversation with local flare. Quiros allows us to see how the bright light moments of the movement played out in ordinary lives.—Doug Thompson, Mercer University



Ansley Quiros argues that the freedom struggle must be seen as a theological and religious movement as much as a political event, and deftly deploys the concept of lived theology in service of her thesis. Her intense focus on the particular locale of Americus, Georgia gives the thesis, and the book, its vibrant life.—Paul Harvey, University of Colorado



I've been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book, and I'm thrilled to say it exceeds all expectations. Quiros unravels the mystery of Koinonia Farm's complicated relation to the civil rights movement and brings high theological drama to the Americus story. Deeply researched and beautifully written, each page is a revelation. It's the rare academic study that speaks directly to the most vexing and persisting challenges of the day. I will carry this book into classrooms, public lectures, congregations, and community-building initiatives, and cleave to its insights, wisdom, and chastened hopes in the uncertain years ahead.—Charles Marsh, University of Virginia