American Church History

This volume provides an introduction to the diverse role that Christianity has played in American history. The multiperspectival approach of the volume reflects not only the pluralistic nature of Christianity's role in American culture, but also the breadth of interpretive methods used in the study of American religious history.

The 32 essays of American Church History underscore Christianity's multiformed influence in American history. The general introduction to the volume includes guidelines on how to use the work as a resource. The 32 essays are clustered around five main themes: religion and culture, religion and ethnicity, religious thought, "mainstream" religion, and alternative in religion. Each of the five major sections includes a general introduction to the theme. Introductions to each of the essays highlight both the interpretive significance of the particular essay as well as the importance of the topic in American religious history. Brief but substantial bibliographic essays for each main section and essay provide useful guides to students and scholars interested in pursuing further research on a particular topic.