" Winner of the Chaffin Award 2004 for Celebration of Appalachian Writings Appalachia's distinctive brand of Christianity has always been something of a puzzle to mainline American congregations. Often treated as pagan and unchurched, native Appalachian sects are labeled as ultraconservative, primitive, and fatalistic, and the actions of minority sub-groups such as "snake handlers" are associated with all worshippers in the region. Yet these churches that many regard as being outside the mainstream are living examples of America's own religious heritage. The emotional and experience-based religion that still thrives in Appalachia is very much at the heart of American worship. The lack of a recognizable "father figure" like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox compounds the mystery of Appalachia's religious origins. Ordained minister John Sparks determined that such a person must have existed, and his search turned up a man less literate, urbane, and well-known than Luther, Calvin, and Knox -- but no less charismatic and influential. Shubal Stearns, a New England Baptist minister, led a group of sixteen Baptists -- now dubbed "The Old Brethren" by Old School Baptists churches in Appalachia -- from New England to North Carolina in the mid-eighteenth century. His musical "barking" preaching is still popular, and the association of churches that he established gave birth to many of the disparate denominations prospering in the region today. A man lacking in the scholarship of his peers but endowed with the eccentricities that would make their mark on Appalachian faith, Stearns has long been an object of shame among most Baptist historians. In The Roots of Appalachian Christianity, Sparks depicts an important religious figure in a new light. Poring over pages of out-of-print and little-used histories, Sparks discovered the complexity of Stearns's character and his impact on Appalachian Christianity. The result is a history not just of this leader but of the roots of a religious movement.

It's time to go on the road with Peppa and this fantastic collection of nine newly recorded stories, perfect for any journey! The stories included are: Peppa Around the World, George's Balloon, Peppa Goes on Holiday, Peppa Goes Skiing, Peppa Goes Boating, Miss Rabbit's Day Off, Peppa's New Neighbours, Peppa's Fishy Friends, George and the Noisy Baby

Brought to you by Ladybird.

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Peppa Pig: Bedtime Stories by Ladybird, read by John Sparkes.

A collection of 10 newly recorded audio stories based on Peppa Pig, the hit TV show!

Includes dialogue, songs and sound effects from the show!

Stories include: Bedtime Story, Night Animals, The Wishing Well, Teddy's Playgroup, Pet Competition, Mrs Rabbit's Bump, Naughty Tortoise, The Rainy Day Game, Madam Gazelle's Leaving Party, and Freddy Fox.

Penguin presents the audio CD edition of Peppa Pig: Play Days by Ladybird, read by John Sparkes.

Come join Peppa and her all her friends as they explore and play in this collection of ten newly recorded audio stories based on her hit TV show, Peppa Pig.

Includes dialogue, songs and sound effects from the show!

Stories include: A Trip to the Moon, Horsey Twinkle Toes, Mr Fox's Shop, Pirate Treasure, The Rainbow, The Train Ride, Work and Play, Richard Rabbit Comes to Play, Grandpa at the Playground and Garden Games.

Other Peppa Pig audio titles available: Peppa Pig: Bedtime Stories

Before the end of the 19th century, the hanging of Gus Finley had a profound effect on a mountain community in Kentucky.

Charles Chilton Moore, 1837-1906, was one of the leading proponents of atheism in the U.S. His "infidel" newspaper, The Bluegrass Blade, published in Lexington, Kentucky, was well-known across the nation, and his legal trials resulted in landmark judicial decisions which set precedents in the areas of freedom of religion and freedom of the press in the United States.