The Columbia Guide to Religion in American History

The first guide to American religious history from colonial times to the present, this anthology features twenty-two leading scholars speaking on major themes and topics in the development of the diverse religious traditions of the United States. These include the growth and spread of evangelical culture, 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, The Columbia Guide to Religion in American History 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 collection 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. Contributors also outline areas in need of further, more sophisticated study and identify critical resources for additional research. The glossary, "American Religious History, A–Z," lists crucial people, movements, groups, concepts, and historical events, enhanced by extensive statistical data.

Paul Harvey is a professor of history and Presidential Teaching Scholar at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He is the author of Redeeming the South: Religious Cultures and Racial Identities Among Southern Baptists, 1865–1925, and Freedom's Coming: Religious Culture and the Shaping of the South from the Civil War Through the Civil Rights Era.



Edward J. Blum is associate professor of history at San Diego State University. He is the author of Reforging the White Republic: Race, Religion, and American Nationalism, 1865–1898, and W. E. B. Du Bois: American Prophet.

Brian C. Wilson:
The Columbia Guide to Religion in American History will be a beneficial addition to the reference section of any university library.

...an important reference work, welcome for its breadth and portability. Highly Recommended.

Matthew Avery Sutton:
Harvey and Blum have done a great service in creating this readable, accessible overview of so many important topics.

Dr. Amanda Porterfield, Robert A. Spivey Professor of Religion and History, Florida State University:
As Maimonides did for theology, this book offers a guide that deepens understanding of the perplexities of American religious history while orienting readers to its terrain. Employing a sophisticated approach to historical studies of religion, the essays are organized around dialectical tensions within American religion rather than one-sided themes. Reflecting the deep engagement with historiography that both Harvey and Blum are known for, this volume will be much appreciated by readers seeking a comprehensive map of the territory.

Tracy Fessenden, author of Culture and Redemption: Religion, the Secular, and American Literature:
The Columbia Guide to Religion in American History serves scholars, students, and general readers who search for reliable narratives and resource texts on American religious history in an environment where older, guiding narratives have been complicated and occasionally rendered suspect by more recent research. Harvey and Blum's compilation seeks to offer basic information as well as a synthetic and interpretive set of guidelines, and succeeds in both aims.