The University of Tennessee Press recently announced the publication of “Lee University: The Path from Church of God Bible Training School to Modern University” by Dr. John D. Coats, available in hardcover and ebook formats.

In “Lee University: The Path from Church of God Bible Training School to Modern University,” Coats not only chronicles the history of Lee but also explores the university’s connection to and representation of the Church of God in the American South, offering a microcosm of an evolving evangelical denomination into the second half of the 20th Century.

The story begins in 1918, when the Church of God established a Bible training school in Cleveland, Tennessee. Meant to be the Christian training arm of the denomination, the school grew to include a high school, music school, and junior college at its campus in Sevierville, Tennessee. Following World War II, the school returned to Cleveland and took the name Lee College in honor of the second leader of the denomination and school, Reverend F. J. Lee.
 
As a faculty member at Lee, Coats is uniquely positioned to offer an inside perspective of the institution’s history, examining the people and politics that have shaped it over time. 
 
“Lee University: The Path from Church of God Bible Training School to Modern University” is available for purchase at utpress.org, amazon.com, and wherever books are sold.
 
Coats is a professor of history and chair of the Department of History, Political Science, and Humanities at Lee. His articles have appeared in “Journal of the Illinois State Historical
Society,” “Historical Dictionary of the Gilded Age,” and “Historically Speaking,” among other publications.
 
The University of Tennessee Press is the Volunteer State’s book publisher, committed to preserving and promoting the rich cultural and intellectual heritage of Tennessee and the region. Through its focused publishing program, UT Press strives to deepen appreciation for the communities, ecosystems, and histories that make the state unique. Its mission is to enlighten readers, foster cultural dialogue, and improve the quality of life for the people of Tennessee and around the world. UT Press is a division of the University of Tennessee Libraries.
 
For more information, visit utpress.org or email [email protected].