In  The Sound of the Dove , Beverly Bush Patterson explores one of the oldest traditions of American religious folksong: unaccompanied congregational singing in the Primitive Baptist churches of Appalachia. Using interviews, field observations, historical research, song transcriptions, and musical analysis, Patterson explores the dynamic relationship between singing and theology in these churches, the genesis of their musical practices, and the unexpectedly significant role of women in their conservative congregations. "This insightful study fills a great gap in American folk music scholarship and demonstrates ways that sensitive feminist scholarship can illuminate surprising corners of traditional culture."--William Bernard McCarthy,  Journal of American Folklore Beverly Bush Patterson  is a former folklife specialist with the North Carolina Arts Council and a coauthor of the  Index to Selected Folk Recordings .