Leaves Of Grass And The Kingdom Of God

Fresh Air

Published May 13, 2009 at 4:07 PM EDT

Erik Reece teaches English and writing at the University of Kentucky.

Author Erik Reece grew up the grandson of a fundamentalist preacher, but left the church in search of a less punitive religion.

In his new book, An American Gospel: On Family, History, and the Kingdom of God, Reece describes his struggle to find a form of Christianity with which he would feel comfortable — and the guidance he received from the writings of Thomas Jefferson, Walt Whitman and other American writers.

A writer in residence at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Reece is also the author of the award-winning non-fiction book Lost Mountain.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

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