A Documentary History Of Religion In America To 1877

A richly variegated selection of short documents illustrative of the history of religion in America. The best source-book available to contemporary students and general readers.

A richly variegated selection of short documents illustrative of the history of religion in America. The best source-book available to contemporary students and general readers.

For a good two decades teachers and students of American religious history have turned to the two-volume Documentary History of Religion in America for the most significant primary sources from the nation s founding to the present. Both volumes in this landmark work here appear in an updated and expanded third edition. Carefully refurbished by renowned historian of American religion Mark Noll, these rich sourcebooks contain original documents letters, sermons, court records, personal narratives, and more that chronicle the drama of American religious history. This third edition updates all of the bibliographical essays, brings the second volume up to the present, and incorporates other documents that reflect recent scholarly concerns, such as the religious dimensions of the Civil War and religious developments among women and people of color.

Vol. 1: to the Civil War; Vol. 2: Since 1865.

Christian Thought in America: A Brief History is a short, accessible overview of the history of Christian thought in America, from the Puritans and other colonials to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Moving chronologically, each chapter addresses a historical segment, focusing on key movements and figures and tracing general trends and developments. The book conveys a sense of the liveliness and creativity of the ongoing theological debates. Each chapter concludes with a short bibliography of recent scholarship for further reading.

Of late, religion seems to be everywhere, suffusing U.S. politics and popular culture and acting as both a unifying and a divisive force. This collection of manifestos, Supreme Court decisions, congressional testimonies, speeches, articles, book excerpts, pastoral letters, interviews, song lyrics, memoirs, and poems reflects the vitality, diversity, and changing nature of religious belief and practice in American public and private life over the last half century. Encompassing a range of perspectives, this book illustrates the ways in which individuals from all along the religious and political spectrum have engaged religion and viewed it as a crucial aspect of society. The anthology begins with documents that reflect the close relationship of religion, especially mainline Protestantism, to essential ideas undergirding Cold War America. Covering both the center and the margins of American religious life, this volume devotes extended attention to how issues of politics, race, gender, and sexuality have influenced the religious mainstream. A series of documents reflects the role of religion and theology in the civil rights, feminist, and gay rights movements as well as in conservative responses. Issues regarding religion and contemporary American culture are explored in documents about the rise of the evangelical movement and the religious right; the impact of "new" (post-1965) immigrant communities on the religious landscape; the popularity of alternative, New Age, and non-Western beliefs; and the relationship between religion and popular culture. The editors conclude with selections exploring major themes of American religious life at the millennium, including both conservative and New Age millennialism, as well as excerpts that speculate on the future of religion in the United States. The documents are grouped by theme into nine chapters and arranged chronologically therein. Each chapter features an extensive introduction providing context for and analysis of the critical issues raised by the primary sources.