About this Book

In the late 1920s and early 1930s "Bishop Cannon" became a household word in much of America. Methodist bishop James Cannon, Jr., was probably the most influential southern churchman between the Civil War and World War II and certainly the most controversial. A paradoxical figure, he seemed as comfortable in the secular world of business and public affairs as in the church, and critics condemned him as an exemplar of the materialistic values of the 1920s. Plunging into politics in Virginia and the nation to secure and protect prohibition, he dramatically broke the southern taboo against preachers in politics.