Drawing principally on primary sources, such as police archives, Harding describes the development of the religion as an "alternative" space in which subjugated and enslaved blacks were able to cultivate a sense of individual and collective identity that stood in opposition to the subaltern status imposed upon them from the dominant society."--BOOK JACKET.

Sara Franklin is seventeen and, at first glance, seems to have everything. She is beautiful, she is rich, and she is adored by her father. But she is also spoiled and willful and arrogant. And she is pregnant. Her Daddy must NOT knownor her hateful new stepmother, Caroline! The election is fast approaching and she can only imagine what the media would do with this piece of news. She must make some sort of decision, and do it quickly, for Caroline has already made arrangements to send her back to Miss Priscillas Academy for Girls and she certainly cant arrive there in her condition. Sara remembers the girls at that dreadful academy speaking of abortion, and how it is quick and easy and that everybody is doing it these days! She thought it sounded barbaric at the time, but now it would appear that it is her only option. As the taxi pulls to a stop, she sees a sordid building before her and the decrepit sign that reads: The Womens Clinic of Abortion. She shudders with dread, then reaches for her purse. At that moment she notices a discarded magazine on the seat beside her. The picture of a great white house catches her eye, the headline above proclaiming it as THE REFUGE: A Christian Alternative to Abortion. Hey, Miss! You gettin out? But she is busily scanning the caption under that wonderful picture. a beautifully rambling old home where women can find Christian direction, warm understanding, and medical care during an unplanned pregnancy. Sara glances again at the unkempt street outside her window and slowly shakes her head. No, she answers with sudden determination. No, I Ive changed my mind.

Refuge documents the trials of evacuating Albania amidst the anarchy of March, 1997. This account recalls the situations and interactions of Bert and Debbie Ayers with their family, missionary friends and Albanians during the tumult of their attempt to evacuate.