This book investigates the extent to which the Methodist Episcopal Church pursued racial integration and inclusion in the decades following the formal end of the Reconstruction era. Paul G. Harris examines the institutional response of Northern Methodism to the post-Civil War landscape, specifically focusing on the denomination's efforts to incorporate freed slaves and white Unionists into a unified, biracial church structure. By analyzing the period beyond the traditional 1877 political cutoff, the author argues that religious institutions maintained a unique, sustained commitment to racial reform long after secular political support had largely evaporated.

Scholars and historians recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of American religious history and its intersection with racial politics. Readers frequently note the meticulous archival research that allows the author to challenge conventional historical timelines regarding the conclusion of the Reconstruction era.