By Christian Potts
The Presbyterian Church's history in Oklahoma pre-dates even the existence of the state of Oklahoma itself, going well back into the days of the region being called Indian Territory.
But in those 180 or so years, no history of the church's impact in the area had been undertaken.
In 2001, a group of Presbyterian leaders called the Oklahoma Presbyterian History Project Task Force met to discuss the possibility of a book to chronicle the church's history in Oklahoma.
The group selected a pair of historians -- University of Oklahoma professor of letters Danney Goble and former history professor and administrator Michael Cassity -- to take on the project.
Their result, eight years later, is the book "Divided Hearts -- The Presbyterian Journey through Oklahoma History."
The authors' goal was to have the book completed in time for the state's centennial celebration in 2007. But Goble fell ill during the research and died in March 2007.
Cassity finished the book, which was published this month through the University of Oklahoma Press.
He gave great credit to Goble for his efforts on the project.
"His contribution to the volume before his death was large, and his coauthorship is appropriate even though he was unable to finish all the chapters he intended," Cassity wrote in the book's preface.
Goble had written or collaborated on eight other books about Oklahoma history prior to "Divided Hearts."
The book chronicles Presbyterianism from its earliest days in the state, back in the days of being Indian Territory, with white settlers making their way west and also with members of the Five Tribes already living in the region.
A common theme through much of the book is Presbyterians' differences in perception to their mission and issues, perhaps lending inspiration to the book's title.
It looks at people, issues and places as it creates a timeline of events in the church leading up to modern times. The book finishes with a listing, as of 2007, of Presbyterian churches in the state.
It is filled with historical accounts by church members and congregations across the state and first-hand stories of the church's growth in the region.
"Religion serves for many people as a way in which they define their lives spiritually, and it also defines their relationships with others in the secular world," Cassity wrote.
The book is 320 pages and retails for $24.95 hardcover.
