@article{852495,
      recid = {852495},
      author = {Case, Riley B.,},
      title = {Faith and fury : Eli Farmer on the frontier, 1794-1881 /},
      pages = {x, 219 pages :},
      abstract = {"Faith and Fury by Riley B. Case tells the fascinating  story of Eli Farmer (1794-1881) who moved to Monroe County,  Indiana, in 1820 and became a Methodist circuit rider. Over  nine years, he visited 33 different preaching locations and  covered over 300 square miles in southern and central  Indiana. Farmer was also a War of 1812 veteran, farmer,  businessman, newspaper editor, Civil War chaplain,  freemason, and state senator. Throughout his life, he was  fascinated by the personal journey of faith and concerned  himself with the spread of religion on the frontier. He  wrote prolifically, including editorials and journals from  the viewpoint of an "outsider" who rejected the  institutionalization of churches with set doctrines, paid  ministries, and lavish buildings. Farmer was a primary  organizer of the Methodist circuit until his break with the  denomination in 1839. This study by Case draws heavily on  Eli Farmer's vivid memoirs, which he dictated after the  Civil War. The Second Great Awakening contributed  significantly to Indiana's early history. Political  dissension in the new republic over the power of government  as opposed to individual liberty helped fuel religious  fervor on the frontier as it opened for settlement.  Constitutional ideas of freedom and equality supported  Protestant denominations proclaiming that people had free  will and could speak to God personally. As settlers flocked  to these congregations, the frontier culture favoring  self-reliance gave way to the stabilizing effect of  mainstream churches and two-party politics. Nevertheless,  competing notions of individualism and strong government  have both maintained popular support into the twenty-first  century, making them particularly relevant topics to visit  today"--},
      url = {http://library.usi.edu/record/852495},
}