Old Time Religion

Welcome to the Nashville Sites “Old Time Religion Tour.” My name is Jim Hoobler. I am the senior curator of art and architecture at the Tennessee State Museum, and a board member of the Metropolitan Historical Commission. This tour will take you to some of the most important religious sites in downtown Nashville, many of which still maintain active congregations. Some of the churches offer tours that allow you to enter their sanctuaries, and while walk-in visits are sometimes available, it’s best to reach out ahead of time to coordinate a visit.

From publishing houses to churches to denominational headquarters, religion is an old-time tradition and prominent part of Nashville’s history. During the Second Great Awakening, large tent revivals and mass conversions swept the southeast, bringing traveling preachers from around the country to Tennessee’s capitol. Baptists and Presbyterians were the first denominations to arrive in the Cumberland region, but by the early nineteenth century, there were four times more Methodists than Presbyterians. While evangelicals comprised the majority of the city’s spiritual citizenry—Catholic, Lutheran, and Jewish congregations also called Nashville home. Their presence enriched the city’s religious character and also constituted some of downtown’s most beautiful architecture.

Today’s Nashville continues to serve as a religious hub, thanks largely to the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Publishing houses. Tennessee leads the nation in the publication of church materials. As one of the top four states with the highest percentage of church members, Tennessee is often called the “Buckle of the Bible Belt.” This phrase implies Protestant denominations; however, this tour highlights the diversity of the religious experience in Nashville. 

Our tour begins on Fifth Avenue North, on the west-facing side of the Ryman Auditorium at its original entrance. The Ryman originally served a religious purpose when it opened in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. Today it remains a testament to the special relationship in Nashville between music and spirituality—affectionately known as the “Mother Church of Country Music.” As you listen to the story of the Ryman, walk down the left of the building to see a monument to bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, the stained-glass windows, and the Fourth Avenue visitors’ entrance.