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Bible Belt is an informal term for an area of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 in which socially conservative evangelical
Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestantism Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s.Most adherents consider its key characteristics to be: a belief in the need for personal conversion ; some expression of the gospel in effort; a high regard for Biblical authority; and an emphasis on the death and resurrection of Jesus....
 Protestantism
Protestantism

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
 is a dominant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is extremely high.

Much of the Bible Belt consists of the Southern United States
Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States....
. During the colonial period
Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
 (1607–1776), the South was a stronghold of the Anglican church. Its transition into a stronghold of non-Anglican Protestantism occurred gradually over the next century, as a series of religious revival
Religious revival

Religious revival may refer to:* Christian Revivalism* Revival meeting* Islamic revival...
 movements, many associated with the Baptist
Baptist

A Baptist is a member of a Christian denomination characterized by the rejection of infant baptism in favor of believer's baptism by Baptism#Immersion....
 denomination, gained great popularity in the region.

The region is usually contrasted with mainstream Protestants and Catholics of the northeast
Northeastern United States

The Northeast is a region of the United States. According to the definition used by the United States Census Bureau, the Northeast region consists of nine states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
, the religiously diverse Midwest
Midwestern United States

The Midwestern United States is one of the four geographic regions within the United States of America that are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau....
 and Great Lakes
Great Lakes region (North America)

The Great Lakes Region includes the Canada Provinces and territories of Canada of Ontario, the six United States states derived from the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 , and portions of Western New York and Northwest Region....
, the Mormon Corridor
Mormon Corridor

The Mormon Corridor is a term for the areas of the Western North America that were settled between 1850 and approximately 1890 by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are commonly known as Mormons....
 in Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
 and southern Idaho
Idaho

The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
, the Catholic-dominated "Rosary Belt" of south Texas–Louisiana–Florida, and the relatively secular
Unchurched Belt

Unchurched Belt refers to a region in the far Western United States that has low rates of religion participation. The term derives from Bible Belt and the notion of the unchurched....
 western United States
Western United States

The Western United States—commonly referred to as the American West or simply The West—traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost U.S....
.






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Bible Belt is an informal term for an area of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 in which socially conservative evangelical
Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestantism Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s.Most adherents consider its key characteristics to be: a belief in the need for personal conversion ; some expression of the gospel in effort; a high regard for Biblical authority; and an emphasis on the death and resurrection of Jesus....
 Protestantism
Protestantism

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
 is a dominant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is extremely high.

Much of the Bible Belt consists of the Southern United States
Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States....
. During the colonial period
Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
 (1607–1776), the South was a stronghold of the Anglican church. Its transition into a stronghold of non-Anglican Protestantism occurred gradually over the next century, as a series of religious revival
Religious revival

Religious revival may refer to:* Christian Revivalism* Revival meeting* Islamic revival...
 movements, many associated with the Baptist
Baptist

A Baptist is a member of a Christian denomination characterized by the rejection of infant baptism in favor of believer's baptism by Baptism#Immersion....
 denomination, gained great popularity in the region.

The region is usually contrasted with mainstream Protestants and Catholics of the northeast
Northeastern United States

The Northeast is a region of the United States. According to the definition used by the United States Census Bureau, the Northeast region consists of nine states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
, the religiously diverse Midwest
Midwestern United States

The Midwestern United States is one of the four geographic regions within the United States of America that are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau....
 and Great Lakes
Great Lakes region (North America)

The Great Lakes Region includes the Canada Provinces and territories of Canada of Ontario, the six United States states derived from the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 , and portions of Western New York and Northwest Region....
, the Mormon Corridor
Mormon Corridor

The Mormon Corridor is a term for the areas of the Western North America that were settled between 1850 and approximately 1890 by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are commonly known as Mormons....
 in Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
 and southern Idaho
Idaho

The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
, the Catholic-dominated "Rosary Belt" of south Texas–Louisiana–Florida, and the relatively secular
Unchurched Belt

Unchurched Belt refers to a region in the far Western United States that has low rates of religion participation. The term derives from Bible Belt and the notion of the unchurched....
 western United States
Western United States

The Western United States—commonly referred to as the American West or simply The West—traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost U.S....
. The percentage of non-religious people is the highest in the northwestern state of Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
 at 25%, compared to the Bible Belt state of Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
, where it is 6%. Also Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
 has the highest number of Baptists at 55%.

The earliest known usage of the term "Bible Belt" was by American journalist and social commentator H.L. Mencken, who in 1924 wrote in the Chicago Daily Tribune: "The old game, I suspect, is beginning to play out in the Bible Belt."

Geography

Although exact boundaries do not exist, it is generally considered to cover much of the area stretching from Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
 in the southwest, north to most of Missouri
Missouri

Missouri is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska....
, northeast to Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
, and southeast to northern Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
.

Tweedie (1978) defines the Bible Belt in terms of the audience for religious television. He finds two belts, one more eastern that stretches from central Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 through Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
, Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
, Kentucky
Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a U.S. state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is normally included in the group of Southern United States , but it is uncommonly included, geographically and culturally, in the Midwestern United States....
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
, North
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
 and South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
, and into Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
, and another that is more western, moving from central Texas to the Dakotas, but concentrated in Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
, Arkansas
Arkansas

Arkansas is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States of the United States. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River....
, Louisiana
Louisiana

The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a U.S. state and a sovereignty located in the South Central United States and Southern United States of the United States of America ....
, Missouri
Missouri

Missouri is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska....
, Kansas
Kansas

The State of Kansas is a Midwestern U.S. state in the Central United States of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the United States "Heartland"....
, and Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
. The Bible belt roughly includes those areas that were Slave State
Slave state

A slave state was a U.S. state in which slavery of African Americans was legal. Slavery was one of the Origins of the American Civil War of the American Civil War and was abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution in 1865....
s before the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
.

Notably absent from this belt are the areas of:

  • Saint Louis, Missouri (mostly a secular city)
  • Miami, Florida
    Miami, Florida

    Miami is a global city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, the most populous county in Florida....
     (a split between Roman Catholics and secular people)
  • Austin, Texas
    Austin, Texas

    Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Travis County, Texas. Situated in Central Texas and part of the Southwestern United States, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 16th-largest in the United States....
     (mostly a secular city; has the lowest church attendance rate in the entire South)
  • South Texas
    South Texas

    South Texas is a region of the United States of America state of Texas that lies roughly south of, or beginning at, San Antonio, Texas. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico....
     (mostly Roman Catholic)
  • Houston, Texas
    Houston, Texas

    Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America and the largest city within the state of Texas. As of the 2007 U.S. Census estimate, the city has a population of 2.2 million within an area of 600 square miles ....
     (a religiously diverse city; most religiously diverse city in the South)
  • New Orleans, Louisiana
    New Orleans, Louisiana

    New Orleans is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana. New Orleans is the center of the New Orleans metropolitan area metropolitan area, the largest metro area in the state....
     (majority Roman Catholic)
  • Mobile, Alabama
    Mobile, Alabama

    Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern United States United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama....
     (majority Roman Catholic)
  • Cajun Country Region
    Acadiana

    Acadiana is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 List of parishes in Louisiana that comprise Louisiana, 22 parishes, or about one-third of the total, make up Acadiana....
     (majority Roman Catholic)


In terms of demographics, the belt can accurately be described as extending westward to include most of West Texas and Eastern New Mexico
New Mexico

New Mexico is a U. S. State located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. Inhabited by Native Americans in the United States populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Spanish Empire viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S....
, and perhaps even farther into areas of southern New Mexico settled by Texans. Additionally, the southern parts of Nebraska
Nebraska

Nebraska is a U.S. state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Western United States.Nebraska probably gets its name from the archaic Chiwere language words ?? Br?sge or the Omaha-Ponca language N? Bth?ska meaning "flat water," after the Platte River that flows through the state....
, Indiana
Indiana

The State of Indiana was the 19th U.S. state admitted into the union. It is located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America....
, and Ohio
Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region , Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads in North America....
 are sometimes included.

Some figures, such as James Carville
James Carville

James Carville is an United States political consultant, commentator, actor, attorney, media personality and Pundit . Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful Bill Clinton presidential campaign, 1992 of then-Arkansas governor Bill Clinton....
, have speculated that the belt may extend further than the geographic American South. He states that much of rural Pennsylvania, which he referred to as "Alabama without the blacks", may be an extension of this belt; for instance, the Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch

The Pennsylvania Dutch are the descendants of German people immigrants who came to Pennsylvania prior to 1800. According to Don Yoder, a Pennsylvania German expert and retired University of Pennsylvania professor, the word "Dutch" in this case owes its origin to an archaic meaning where it designated groups that are today considered Ger...
 have much in common politically with the Southern Baptists.

Buckle

Several locations are occasionally referred to as the "Buckle
Belt buckle

File:Plaque-boucle 02.jpgFile:Beltbuckle1.JPGFile:6 western floral.jpgA belt buckle is a buckle, a clasp for fastening two ends, as of straps or a belt , in which a device attached to one of the ends is fitted or coupled to the other....
 of the Bible Belt":
  • Greenville, South Carolina
    Greenville, South Carolina

    Greenville is a mid-sized city located in the upstate of South Carolina. It is the county seat of Greenville County, SC and the principal city in the Greenville-Mauldin, South Carolina-Easley, South Carolina Greenville-Mauldin-Easley metropolitan area ....
    , home of Bob Jones University
    Bob Jones University

    Bob Jones University is a private university, Protestant Fundamentalist Christianity, liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina, South Carolina....
  • Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, home to several seminaries, including the Brite Divinity School
    Brite Divinity School

    Brite Divinity School is affiliated with and located at Texas Christian University. It is also affiliated with the Christian Church . Along with being accredited by the Christian Church , Brite is approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church and receives support for its Baptist Studies program from the Cooperative Baptis...
     of Texas Christian University
    Texas Christian University

    Texas Christian University is a private university, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, Texas. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Christian Church ....
    , Dallas Theological Seminary
    Dallas Theological Seminary

    Dallas Theological Seminary is an evangelical theology seminary located in Dallas, Texas and the North American institution for popularizing the theological system known as Dispensationalism....
    , Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
    Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

    Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, whose stated mission is "to provide theological education for individuals engaging in Christian Religious ministry." It is one of the largest seminaries in th...
     (the largest Protestant seminary in the world), and Criswell College
    Criswell College

    Criswell College is a Christian college and divinity school in Dallas, Texas. Previously known as ?Criswell Center for Biblical Studies? and later as ?Criswell Bible Institute?, the college is named after its founder, Dr....
    ; Southern Methodist University
    Southern Methodist University

    Southern Methodist University is a private university, coeducational university in University Park, Texas, Texas . Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU currently operates campuses in University Park, Plano, Texas, and Taos, New Mexico....
    ; the conservative Catholic University of Dallas
    University of Dallas

    The University of Dallas is a private Catholic university located in Irving, Texas. It is well known for its Core Curriculum, a series of required classes based in the Western Tradition....
    ; and several of America's largest megachurches, including the Potter's House (pastored by T.D Jakes), Prestonwood Baptist (pastored by Jack Graham
    Jack Graham

    Jack Graham may refer to:*Jack Gilbert Graham , mass murderer*Jack Graham , Australian rules footballer*Jack Graham , Major League Baseball player...
    ), and First Baptist Dallas (once, under the leadership of W.A. Criswell 1909–2002, the largest Protestant church in the world). See also J. Frank Norris
    J. Frank Norris

    John Franklyn Norris, was a firebrand fundamentalist preacher and popular Baptist leader. He was one of the most controversial and flamboyant figures in the history of fundamentalism....
    .
  • Nashville, Tennessee
    Nashville, Tennessee

    Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
    , home to the headquarters of many denominations, including the Southern Baptist Convention
    Southern Baptist Convention

    The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based, mostly conservative Christian denomination. The name "Southern" stems from its having been founded and rooted in the Southern United States....
    , the National Association of Free Will Baptists
    National Association of Free Will Baptists

    The National Association of Free Will Baptists is a national body of Free Will Baptist Church churches in the United States and Canada, organized on November 5, 1935 in Nashville, Tennessee....
    , and the United Methodist Church
    United Methodist Church

    The United Methodist Church is a Christian Church that understands itself to be a part of the one Holy catholic Church of Jesus Christ and the Communion of Saints....
    's Publishing House; the area is also referred to as the "Protestant Vatican".
  • Memphis, Tennessee
    Memphis, Tennessee

    Memphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County, Tennessee. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River ....
    , home of Church of God in Christ
    Church of God in Christ

    The Church of God in Christ, Incorporated is a Christian church in the Pentecostal tradition. The church has congregations in nearly 60 countries around the world....
     and Bellevue Baptist Church
    Bellevue Baptist Church

    Bellevue Baptist Church is a large, Southern Baptist Convention megachurch in the Cordova, Tennessee area of Memphis, Tennessee, United States....
    , one of the largest in the Southern Baptist Convention
    Southern Baptist Convention

    The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based, mostly conservative Christian denomination. The name "Southern" stems from its having been founded and rooted in the Southern United States....
    .
  • Dayton, Tennessee
    Dayton, Tennessee

    Dayton is a city in Rhea County, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,180 at the 2000 census. The Dayton, TN, Urban Cluster, which includes developed areas adjacent to the city and extends south to Graysville, had 9,050 people in 2000....
    , site of the Scopes Monkey Trial and home of Bryan College
    Bryan College

    Bryan College is a Christian liberal arts college in Dayton, Tennessee. It was founded in the aftermath of the 1925 Scopes Trial to establish an institution of higher education that would teach Creationism....
  • Charlotte, North Carolina
    Charlotte, North Carolina

    Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The List of United States cities by population in the United States....
    , home of Billy Graham, the Billy Graham Library
    Billy Graham Library

    The Billy Graham LibraryThe Billy Graham Library opened to the public on June 5, 2007, and chronicles the life and ministry of Christian evangelist Billy Graham....
    , the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
    Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

    The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is an organization started by the Rev. Billy Graham in 1950. The main focus of the BGEA is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible....
    , the headquarters of African Methodist Episcopal Zion national and international offices, and the mother house of Charles Emanuel "Daddy" Grace's
    Marcelino Manuel da Graca

    Marcelino Manuel da Graca , affectionately known as Daddy Grace, was the founder and first bishop of the United House of Prayer For All People....
     United House of Prayer for All People
    United House of Prayer For All People

    The United House of Prayer for All People is a Christian denomination founded by Marcelino Manuel da Graca . Marcelino Manuel da Graca was born in Brava, Cape Verde in the Cape Verde Islands....
  • Cleveland, Tennessee
    Cleveland, Tennessee

    Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States. The population was 37,192 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bradley County, Tennessee....
    , home of Lee University
    Lee University

    Lee University is a private, coeducational university located in Cleveland, Tennessee, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Church of God , which has its headquarters in the same town....
     and the Church of God international offices
  • Springfield, Missouri
    Springfield, Missouri

    Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Greene County, Missouri. Springfield is 160 miles SE of Kansas City, MO, and 200 miles SW of St....
    , home of the Assemblies of God
    Assemblies of God

    The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God for short, is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination, with over 283,413 churches and outstations in over 110 countries and approximately 57 to 60 million adherents worldwide....
     and the Baptist Bible Fellowship
  • Lynchburg, Virginia
    Lynchburg, Virginia

    Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 71,282 at the 2007 United States Census. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River , Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills", "The Hill City" and sometimes described as "A City Unto Itself" mostly in ref...
    , home of Jerry Falwell
    Jerry Falwell

    Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an United States Evangelical Christianity pastor, televangelism, and a controversial Conservatism in the United States commentator....
    's ministry and Liberty University
    Liberty University

    Liberty University is a Christian liberal arts university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was founded as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971 by Jerry Falwell who was also the Senior Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church....
  • Virginia Beach, Virginia
    Virginia Beach, Virginia

    Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads Hampton Roads area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay....
    , home of Regent University
    Regent University

    Regent University is a private university coeducational interdenominational Christian university located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Virginia, United States....
     and The 700 Club
    The 700 Club

    The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing on cable's ABC Family and in syndication throughout the United States and Canada....
     with Pat Robertson
    Pat Robertson

    Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a televangelist from the United States. He is the founder of numerous organizations and corporations, including the American Center for Law and Justice , the Christian Broadcasting Network , the Christian Coalition of America, Flying Hospital, International Family Entertainment, Operation Blessing Internation...
  • Tulsa, Oklahoma
    Tulsa, Oklahoma

    Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population in the United States. With an estimated population of 384,037 in 2007, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 905,755 residents projected to reach one million between 2010 and 2012....
    , home of Oral Roberts University
    Oral Roberts University

    Oral Roberts University or ORU, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a Charismatic Movement comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from most US states along with a number of international students....
     and the ministries of Kenneth Hagin and Billy James Hargis
    Billy James Hargis

    Billy James Hargis was a fundamentalist Protestant Christian Evangelism who was one of the founding fathers of the Christian Right. At the height of his popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, his Christian Crusade ministry was broadcast on more than 500 radio stations and 250 television stations....
  • Abilene, Texas
    Abilene, Texas

    Abilene is a city in Jones County, Texas and Taylor County, Texas Counties in the central part of the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 115,930 at the United States Census, 2000....
    , home of Abilene Christian University
    Abilene Christian University

    Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute....
     (Churches of Christ), Hardin-Simmons University
    Hardin-Simmons University

    Hardin-Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas....
     (Southern Baptist and Baptist General Convention of Texas
    Baptist General Convention of Texas

    The Baptist General Convention of Texas is the oldest surviving Baptist convention in the state of Texas....
    ), and McMurry University
    McMurry University

    McMurry University, founded in 1923, is a private co-educational university in Abilene, Texas. It is a liberal arts school offering forty-one majors in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, education, business, and religion, and nine pre-professional programs, including engineering, nursing, dentistry, med...
     (United Methodist)
  • Lubbock, Texas
    Lubbock, Texas

    Lubbock is an United States of America city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in the West Texas part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, it is the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, and the home of Texas Tech University....
    , which is said to have more churches per capita than anywhere else in the nation
  • Portales, New Mexico
    Portales, New Mexico

    Portales is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, New Mexico, United States. The population of Portales and its near suburbs, contained in Zip Code 88130, was nearly 17,000 people in 2007, not including a majority of the city's college students....
    , home to 39 Christian institutions
  • Chattanooga, Tennessee
    Chattanooga, Tennessee

    Chattanooga, "the Scenic City", is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee , and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, in the United States....
    , which has more churches per capita than any other city in the U.S.


There are also several locations outside the Bible Belt that are centers of evangelical Christian activity, many of them are often called "exclave
Exclave

An exclave is strip of land that belongs to a political entity but that is not connected to it by land . The strip of land is surrounded by other political entities....
s of the Bible Belt".  They include Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona

Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 41,528....
; Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is a Colorado municipalities#Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, Colorado, United States....
; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 197,800. It is the county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Michigan....
; Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County....
; Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster is a city in the South Central Pennsylvania part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania....
; and parts of Southern California
Southern California

Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population centers on the cities of Los Angeles, California, San Diego, California, San Bernardino, California, and Riverside, California....
, particularly Orange County
Orange County, California

Orange County is a county in Southern California California, United States. Its county seat is Santa Ana, California. The state of California estimates its population as of 2008 to be 3,121,251, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County, California and San Diego County, California....
.

Political and cultural context

The term Bible Belt is used informally by journalists and by its detractors, who suggest that the region allows religion to influence politics, science, and education.

In 1950, President Harry Truman told Catholic leaders he wanted to send an ambassador to the Vatican
Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church....
. Truman said the leading Democrats in Congress approved, but they warned him, "it would defeat Democratic Senators and Congressmen in the Bible Belt." [quoted in Amanda Smith, Hostage of Fortune (2001) p. 604].

In presidential elections
United States presidential election

Elections for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the Electoral College , who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President....
, the Bible Belt states of Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas have voted for the Republican candidate in all elections since 1980. Virginia and North Carolina did not vote Democratic until they went for Barack Obama
Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the List of Presidents of the United States and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office....
 in the 2008 election. Prior to the 1960s the majority of these states generally voted for the Democratic candidate after the formation of the modern Democratic party.

Outside the United States

In Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, the term usually refers to tracts within individual cities, for example the north-western suburbs of Sydney focusing on Baulkham Hills and the north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide focusing on Paradise
Paradise, South Australia

Paradise is a northeastern suburb of Adelaide in South Australia. It is bounded on the north side by the River Torrens.Paradise is in the City of Campbelltown Local Government Areas in Australia....
, Modbury
Modbury, South Australia

Modbury is a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in City of Tea Tree Gully. Modbury is located at the end of the Adelaide O-Bahn and is home to the Westfield Tea Tree Plaza shopping complex....
 and Golden Grove
Golden Grove, South Australia

Golden Grove is an outer north-eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia and is within the City of Tea Tree Gully local government area. It is adjacent to Wynn Vale, South Australia, Surrey Downs, South Australia, Greenwith, South Australia, Yatala Vale, South Australia, Fairview Park, South Australia, and Salisbury East, South Australia....
, though there is also a section of south-eastern Queensland
Queensland

Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....
 comprising the towns of Laidley
Laidley, Queensland

Laidley is a town situated in the Lockyer Valley, Queensland of South East Queensland Queensland, Australia. The township lies 83 km west of Brisbane, the state capital....
, Gatton
Gatton

Gatton was a village near Reigate in Surrey, England. The village lay within the Reigate hundred ....
 and Toowoomba which is referred to as the Bible Belt.

In Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, the term is also sometimes used to describe several disparate regions which have a higher than average level of church attendance. These include the majority of rural southern Alberta and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie provinces in Canada, which has an area of 588,276.09 square kilometres and a population of 1,015,895 , mostly living in the southern half of the province....
, parts of southern Manitoba
Manitoba

Manitoba is a prairie provinces in Canada, which has an area of 647,797 square kilometres and a population of 1,207,959 , with more than half located within the Winnipeg Capital Region ....
, the rural and more traditional parts of the Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley

Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage the term refers to the stretch of the river downstream from the town of Hope, British Colum...
 of British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, the Annapolis Valley
Annapolis Valley

The Annapolis Valley is a valley in the Canada province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the Bay of Fundy....
 of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is a Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada....
 and the Saint John River Valley of New Brunswick
New Brunswick

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only Constitution of Canada bilingual province in the federation. The provincial capital is Fredericton....
.

In China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, Nanjing City is regarded as the area with the country's highest number of Christians since 1949. Amity Publishing House, a Christian publisher, is based in this city.

In Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
, the area of northwestern Jutland
Jutland

File:Jutland peninsula 2.pngJutland , historically also called Cimbria, is a peninsula in Europe. Jutland forms the mainland part of Denmark as well as the northernmost part of Germany....
 is often mentioned as a Bible Belt. The region has a large number of members of the Lutheran
Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century Germans Reformer Martin Luther....
 movement called "Indre Mission
The Church Association for the Inner Mission in Denmark

The Churchly Association for the Inner Mission in Denmark , or in short Inner Mission is a conservative Lutheran Christian organisation in Denmark....
".

In Finland
Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland , is a Nordic countries situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland....
, the rural areas of Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia (region)

Ostrobothnia is a regions of Finland of Finland. It is located in Western Finland. It borders to the regions Central Ostrobothnia, Southern Ostrobothnia, and Satakunta and is one of the four regions making up the Ostrobothnia ....
 and Southern Ostrobothnia
Southern Ostrobothnia

Southern Ostrobothnia is one of the 20 Regions of Finland of Finland.Sein?joki is the regional centre and by far the largest city in the area....
 are sometimes considered a Bible Belt.

In India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
, the north eastern states of Nagaland
Nagaland

Nagaland is a hill States and territories of India located in the far North-East India part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south....
, Mizoram
Mizoram

Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North-East India India. It shares land borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur, Bangladesh and the Chin State state of Burma....
, Meghalaya
Meghalaya

Meghalaya is a small States of India in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means "The Abode of Clouds" in Sanskrit and other Indic languages....
 and the hill districts of Manipur
Manipur

Manipur is a States and territories of India in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Myanmar to the east....
 form a continuous Bible Belt. Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya are India's only Christian dominated states. In fact in Nagaland, Christians constitute 90.02% (2001 census) of the population, with 80% professing the Baptist faith and thereby earning the sobriquet of The most Baptist state in the world. The Bible belt has emerged as one of the major areas of the world that sends out missionaries, particularly to South Asia and South East Asia.

The Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 has a Bible Belt (Bijbelgordel) as well, stretching from Zeeland
Zeeland

Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
 to Overijssel
Overijssel

Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics classification of NL21....
. Immigrants from this area to the U.S. formed the Christian Reformed Church in North America
Christian Reformed Church in North America

The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination which follows Reformed Calvinism theology. The church promotes the belief that Christians do not earn their salvation, but that it is a gift from God despite one's failings and that good works are the Christian response to that gift....
. See Bible Belt (Netherlands)
Bible Belt (Netherlands)

For the Dutch-American Bible Belt, see West Michigan.The Bible Belt is the name given to a strip of land in the Netherlands, which is inhabited chiefly by conservative Protestants....


In New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
, Mount Roskill, Auckland
Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban areas of New Zealand with over 1.3 million residents, percent of the country's population....
, contains the highest number of churches per capita in the country, and is the home of several Christian political candidates.

In Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
, the region centered on the northern part of County Antrim
County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six Counties of Northern Ireland that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties that historically and geographically constitute the Province of Ulster....
 is often referred to as Northern Ireland's Bible Belt. This is because the area is heavily Protestant with a large evangelical
Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestantism Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s.Most adherents consider its key characteristics to be: a belief in the need for personal conversion ; some expression of the gospel in effort; a high regard for Biblical authority; and an emphasis on the death and resurrection of Jesus....
 community. The MP for this constituency is Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley

Ian Richard Kyle Paisley , styled The Rt Hon. The Revd Ian Paisley and also known as Dr Ian Paisley, is a veteran politician and church minister in Northern Ireland....
, a Free Presbyterian Reverend well known for his theological fundamentalism
Fundamentalism

Fundamentalism refers to a belief in, and strict adherence to a set of basic principles , a reaction to perceived doctrine compromises with Modernism and political life....
. The town of Ballymena
Ballymena

Ballymena is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
, is the largest town in the constituency, is often referred to as the "buckle" of the Bible Belt.

In Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
, the Bible Belt covers the south-western coast from Agder
Agder

Agder is a districts of Norway in the southernmost region of Norway, corresponding to the two counties of Norway Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. Today, the term S?rlandet is more commonly used....
 to Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal

is a Counties of Norway in the northernmost part of Western Norway Norway. It borders the counties of S?r-Tr?ndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while ?lesund is the largest city....
. In these areas the conservative branch of the Church of Norway
Church of Norway

The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway. The church confesses the Lutheranism Christianity faith. It has as its foundation the Christian Bible, the Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Luther's Small Catechism and the Augsburg Confession....
 has a stronghold and the members usually associate themselves to Indremisjonen (Inner Mission). There are also numerous Pentecostals and members of the Free Churches
Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway

The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church, or the Free Church as it is commonly known, is a nationwide Lutheran church in Norway consisting of 81 congregations with approximately 21,000 members....
, but these movements are also strongly represented in the rest of the country. The Bible Belt in Norway often reflects the support for the Christian Democratic Party or the Christian Unity Party
Christian Unity Party

Christian Unity Party is a Conservatism political party in Norway without parliamentary representation.They originated from a conservative branch of the Christian Democratic Party of Norway, and their ideology is based upon Christianity, literal interpretation of the bible, and opposition to Reform movement in the Norwegian Church....
.

In Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
, there is a Bible Belt covering the area between the cities of Jönköping
Jönköping

J?nk?ping is a city in Sm?land in southern Sweden with 84,423 inhabitants . It is the 9th most populous city of Sweden.The city is the seat of J?nk?ping Municipality which has a population of 122,194 , and also the seat of J?nk?ping County which has a population of 331,539 ....
 and Gothenburg
Gothenburg

Gothenburg ) is the second largest city in Sweden after Stockholm and the fifth largest amongst the Nordic countries. The city is located on the south west-coast....
, with a particular high concentration of non-conformists (Protestant congregations not affiliated with the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden

The Church of Sweden is the largest Ecclesia in Sweden. The Church of Sweden professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is a member of the Porvoo Communion....
), especially Pentecostals and Congregationalist
Congregational church

Congregational churches are Protestantism Christianity churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each Wiktionary:congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
s - and strong support for the Christian Democrats
Christian Democrats (Sweden)

The Christian Democrats is a Politics of Sweden party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on their own accord in 1991....
.

See also

  • Belt regions of the United States
    Belt regions of the United States

    The belt regions of the United States originally referred to the growing regions of various crops, but usage has expanded to other climatic, economic and cultural concentrations....
  • Born again Christianity
  • Jesusland map
    Jesusland map

    The Jesusland map is an Internet meme, created shortly after the U.S. presidential election, 2004, which satire the red states and blue states....
  • Unchurched Belt
    Unchurched Belt

    Unchurched Belt refers to a region in the far Western United States that has low rates of religion participation. The term derives from Bible Belt and the notion of the unchurched....


Further reading

  • Randall Balmer; Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism Baylor University Press, 2004  
  • Denman, Stan. "Political Playing for the Soul of the American South: Theater and the Maintenance of Cultural Hegemony in the American Bible Belt" Southern Quarterly (2004) v. 42, Spring, 64-72.
  • Heatwole, C.A.  "The Bible Belt; a problem of regional definition" Journal of Geography (1978) 77; 50-5
  • Christine Leigh Heyrman, Southern Cross: The Beginnings of the Bible Belt (Knopf, 1997)
  •  Samuel S. Hill, Charles H. Lippy, and Charles Reagan Wilson, eds. Encyclopedia Of Religion In The South (2005)
  • Charles H. Lippy, ed. "Religion in South Carolina" (1993)
  • George M. Marsden, Fundamentalism and American Culture: The Shaping of Twentieth-Century Evangelicalism, 1870-1925 (1980).
  • Jeffrey P. Moran; "The Scopes Trial and Southern Fundamentalism in Black and White: Race, Region, and Religion" Journal of Southern History. Volume: 70. Issue: 1. 2004. pp 95+.
  • Chris C. Park; Sacred Worlds: An Introduction to Geography and Religion Routledge, 1994
  • Randy J. Sparks. Religion in Mississippi University Press of Mississippi for the Mississippi Historical Society, . 2001. ISBN 1-57806-361-2.
  • William A. Stacey and Anson Shupe; "Religious Values and Religiosity in the Textbook Adoption Controversy in Texas, 1981" Review of Religious Research, Vol. 25, 1984
  • Turner, Elizabeth Hayes; Women, Culture and Community: Religion and Reform in Galveston 1880-1920, 1997.
  • Tweedie, S.W. (1978) Viewing the Bible Belt. Journal of Popular Culture 11; 865-76
  • John Mellencamp
    John Mellencamp

    John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names John Cougar and John Cougar Mellencamp, is a Grammy-winning United States rock music singer-songwriter, musician, artist and occasional actor....
    , "Jack and Diane" (1982): "Let the bible belt, come and save my soul."
  • Nikki Sudden, Waiting On Egypt/The Bible Belt CD
  • Travis Tritt
    Travis Tritt

    James Travis Tritt is a Grammy award-winning American country music artist and occasional actor, more commonly known as Travis Tritt.Starting with the debut single release of "Country Club" in 1989, Travis Tritt has charted more than thirty singles on the U.S....
    , "Bible Belt" (1991): "Till you're gonna have to answer, To your heart in the Bible belt."