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The Cross and the Trail
0 - Default Title
Description
In The Cross and the Trail: The Battle for Cherokee Spiritual Sovereignty, Matthew B. Scraper-a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a former United Methodist minister of 20 years-confronts the lasting impact of this forced spiritual conversion. Drawing on history, theology, and personal experience, he unravels the ways Christianity reshaped Cherokee traditions, dismantled matrilineal governance, and imposed a framework of sin and guilt that was never ours to begin with.
But this book is more than a critique-it is a call to reclaim what was stolen. Scraper challenges Cherokee people to decolonize their spirituality, to return to the sacred fire of their ancestors, and to envision a future where their faith is not dictated by the church, but by the land, the water, and the stories passed down through generations.
What does it mean to be Cherokee beyond the cross? And what might spiritual sovereignty look like for a people who were told they could only find salvation in a foreign god?
This is not just history-it is a battle for the survival of a sacred way of being.
Product details
Binding:
Paperback
Number of Pages:
332
Release Date:
2025-04-18
Publication Date:
2025-04-18
Publisher:
Lulu.com
Languages:
Original:
English
ISBN10:
1300501537
ISBN13:
9781300501534
GPSR Manufacturer Reference:
Weight:
483 g
Height:
148 cm
Width:
210 cm
Thickness:
20 cm
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