1. What were the various social changes occurring in American culture after the Civil War which gave rise to fundamentalism as a social movement?
2. Why, ironically, did fundamentalism rise in the urban north rather than the rural South, even though fundamentalist beliefs and worship styles were more commonly found in the South?
3. Why are fundamentalist churches and organizations so independent, reluctant to form large denominations or national structures like the ELCA or Roman Catholic Church?Chapter 3: "Southside Gospel Church: Its History and People"
4. Who are the members of Southside--what are the demographics? Is that surprising--does it contradict or confirm whatever expectations or stereotypes you have of fundamentalists as you get into the book?
5. Why are more women involved than men in this church? (This is a bit of a paradox, especially because, as later chapters reveal, the church leadership is very male dominated.)
6. If the Southside folks are very much "like us" in background, as the author argues, why aren't most of us fundamentalists, too? Would you feel comfortable at Southside church? Why or why not? Why do Southside members generally seem to feel more threatened by the forces of modern social change than most of us in this class probably feel?

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