The Columbia Guide to Religion in American History
Paul Harvey and Edward Blum
Abstract
The first guide to American religious history from colonial times to the present, this anthology covers major themes and topics in the development of the diverse religious traditions of the United States. These include the growth and spread of evangelicalism, the mutual influence of religion and politics, the rise of fundamentalism, the role of gender and popular culture, and the problems and possibilities of pluralism. Geared toward general readers, students, researchers, and scholars, it provides concise yet broad surveys of specific fields, with an extensive glossary and bibliographies list ... More
The first guide to American religious history from colonial times to the present, this anthology covers major themes and topics in the development of the diverse religious traditions of the United States. These include the growth and spread of evangelicalism, the mutual influence of religion and politics, the rise of fundamentalism, the role of gender and popular culture, and the problems and possibilities of pluralism. Geared toward general readers, students, researchers, and scholars, it provides concise yet broad surveys of specific fields, with an extensive glossary and bibliographies listing relevant books, films, articles, music, and media resources for navigating different streams of religious thought and culture. The book opens with a thematic exploration of American religious history and culture and follows with twenty topical chapters, each of which illuminates the dominant questions and lines of inquiry that have determined scholarship within that chapter's chosen theme. The chapters outline areas in need of further, more sophisticated study and identify critical resources for additional research. The glossary lists crucial people, movements, groups, concepts, and historical events, enhanced by extensive statistical data.
Keywords:
religious history,
religious traditions,
evangelicalism,
fundamentalism,
gender,
popular culture,
pluralism,
religious culture,
United States,
religion
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2012 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780231140201 |
| Published to Columbia Scholarship Online: November 2015 |
DOI:10.7312/columbia/9780231140201.001.0001 |
