Integral to the social fabric of any and every place since the dawn of human history, religion has affected the lives of billions of people and shaped societies and cultures the world over. This is no less true in the Ozarks. Far from a monolithic religious culture, the people of the Ozarks have nonetheless been influenced by Protestantism since the region’s settlement by Americans in the first half of the 19th century. What role did religion play in the settlement of the region? What role does it play now? Are the Ozarks really, as local rock band Ha Ha Tonka once sang, “the buckle in the bible belt?" Talking History asks Professor John Schmalzbaur.
John Schmalzbauer holds the Blanche Gorman Strong Chair in Protestant Studies at the Missouri State University Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions.
Talking History Extra begins at 25:08 in the audio.
