Why I Do Not Eat Meat [Vegetarianism & Radical Religion] [The Pillar of Fire Church]

Zarephath, New Jersey: The Pentecostal Union, 1915. First Edition, First Printing. Very Good/No Dust Jacket..

A radical 1915 manifesto on religious vegetarianism by the first female Bishop in the U.S.-the controversial founder of the Pillar of Fire sect. Published at the church's Zarephath headquarters, this treatise argues that 'physical purity' is a divine requirement, showcasing the early ethical frameworks of a leader who would later become a notorious apologist for the Ku Klux Klan.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Visuals: Illustrated with full-page drawings and 10 pages of advertisements featuring photographs of the Pillar of Fire training sites and church publications.
+++ Binding: Original maroon cloth with stamped silver gilt titles.
+++ Content: A foundational text of the Pillar of Fire Church, outlining an ethical and spiritual framework for a meat-free lifestyle.
+++ Historical Context: While advocating for women's equality and health reform, White remains one of the most controversial figures in American religion due to her later vocal support of the Ku Klux Klan.
+++ Imprint: The Pentecostal Union (later Pillar of Fire), Zarephath, NJ.
+++ Specs: 7.5 inches tall / 213, [10] pages.

CONDITION: Very Good+ -- Bindings are tight and square. Text is clean with light, even age-toning. Minimal shelf handling wear. Previous owner's name stamp on the front paste-down. Silver stamping remains relatively bright against the maroon cloth.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE -- Alma Bridwell White was a pioneer of the "Holiness Movement" and remains the first woman consecrated as a bishop in the United States. Her leadership of the Pillar of Fire Church in Zarephath, New Jersey, represented a radical departure from mainstream Methodism, focusing on rigorous lifestyle restrictions, including the vegetarianism detailed in this 1915 work.

White's legacy is deeply polarized. While 'Why I Do Not Eat Meat' showcases her progressive views on animal ethics and women's health, it was written just years before she became a leading religious apologist for the Ku Klux Klan. This work is a vital artifact for the study of early 20th-century "fringe" religious movements and the often-contradictory intersection of social reform (vegetarianism/feminism) and nativist ideologies in American history.

SUBJECTS: Alma White, Pillar of Fire Church, Vegetarianism, Animal Ethics, Women in Religion, New Jersey History, Holiness Movement, Religious Extremism, Religious History, Health & Wellness, Social Reform.