Religion

Tennessee is unquestionably part of the U.S. Bible Belt; the conservative Christian faith is both prevalent and prominent all over the state. Eighty-three percent of Tennesseans call themselves Christians and more than half of these identify as Baptist. The second-largest Christian denomination is Methodist. Nashville [1] is the headquarters of the Southern Baptist Convention, the National Baptist Convention, and the United Methodist Church. Memphis [2] is the headquarters of the mostly African-American Church of God in Christ.

While Tennessee’s urban centers are the home of church headquarters, religious fervor is strongest in the rural communities. Pentecostal churches have been known for rites such as speaking in tongues and snake-handling, although these activities are not as widespread as they once were.

Non-Christians will feel most comfortable in urban areas, where religious minorities have grown in recent years and where the influence of the local churches is not as great.

One practical effect of Tennessee’s Christian bent is that many counties and even some cities are totally dry, while most bar the sale of alcohol on Sundays.