Volume 233 in the The Civilization of the American Indian Series

A contemporary ethnography of the role of religion in an American Indian society

In this contemporary ethnography, Jack M. Schultz examines the role of religion in one American Indian society: the Seminole Baptists of Oklahoma. Basing his study on four years of fieldwork, Schultz shows how the Seminole Baptist church system helps maintain a traditional community.

As Schultz explains, the Oklahoma Seminole Baptists, rather than passively adopting existing non-Native structures, have actively adapted them to meet their community needs. The people Schultz encountered are Baptist: they gather several times weekly in steepled churches for prayers, hymn singing, and sermons based on biblical texts. But they are also Seminole, conducting services primarily in the Mvskoke language and practicing Native customs.

Schultz surveys the history of the Seminoles and discusses Seminole Baptist beliefs and practices, leadership roles, and the church's organizational structure.