“It is not easy to write a diocesan history that is interesting to anyone not named in the book. J. Barry Vaughn, however, has done it; this is a book that has a story to tell of a church—Christian people—attempting to bear witness to Christian faith and life in a context that was often unfriendly and sometimes hostile to that mission.”
—Anglican and Episcopal History
"To my knowledge, this is by far the most dramatic parish denominational (especially Episcopal) church history I have seen thus far. Hopefully this honest, humanised story will nourish similar latent movements toward self-examination and realism in denominational race relations, usually masked by less humanly dramatic 'church history' narrative."
—Journal of Religious History
"J. Barry Vaughn has written an interesting history of the Episcopal Church in Alabama that transcends narrow denominational history and places the church and its members squarely within the context of Alabama history."
—Journal of Southern History
“The research in both primary and secondary documents is impressive. Unlike much ecclesiastical history written by nonprofessional historians, this work is set in a broad social and historical context. It is filled with tough love and deserved analysis and criticism of Episcopalians, filling an important gap in our present understanding of the state’s complex religious history, and the analysis is sharp and largely supported by the evidence.”
—Wayne Flynt, author of Keeping the Faith: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, Alabama Baptists: Southern Baptists in the Heart of Dixie, and Alabama in the Twentieth Century
"Vaughn has produced a lively and well-researched history of The Episcopal Church which has much to teach students of the broader history of the church as well as those who are particularly interested in Alabama. The title should draw in many, and the fascinating details of Civil War history, Tallulah Bankhead, deaconesses, and intra-church politics will keep any reader engaged. The author offers a frank and thoughtful treatment of the church’s attitudes toward slavery and racism which just might lead to repentance and healing. He also points to earlier models of Episcopal leadership and attitudes to conflict which are being tested again in the 21st century. Enjoy – it’s a riveting read!"
—The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
"The two things that set apart Dr. Vaughn's book are his meticulous scholarship and his setting the history of he church in civil and economic contexts."
—The Coastline, the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast
Bishops, Bourbons, and Big Mules is a history of the Episcopal Church in a specific time and place, but it is also full of insights and celebrates the stories of people who have received gifts and graces from the God they have served. Barry’s book also frankly acknowledges the faults and frailties of those same people. Barry has done a wonderful job of not only outlining the possibilities and pressures of church life, but also telling the stories of the people of the Episcopal Church in Alabama, and for that, we are grateful."
—The Right Reverend John McKee Sloan, Bishop of Alabama
