Slave Religion: The Invisible Institution in the Antebellum South Book

This is something of a classic in the literature on the slave church. It started out as a doctoral thesis, but unlike some books that have that provenance, this one really engages. Sure, there is an incredible amount of detail - and a huge number of footnotes, reflecting Raboteau's careful research - but it still reads like a great piece of social history. He's clearly taken by the back-story of the black church, but certainly not in an overly romanticized way. Essential reading for me, as I continue to trace the tradition that in time would give rise to the blues and to jazz.