Books in the Religion in American Life series

Joel Martin draws his narrative from folk stories, rituals, and even landscapes to trace the development of Native American religion from ancient burial mounds, through interactions with European conquerors and missionaries, and on to the modern-day rebirth of ancient rites and beliefs.

Presents a history of the multidimensional, multi regional, and multi ethnic Protestant religious group. Beginning with the 'separatists' in England, this book traces the physical and ideological route of protestants in America. The back matter includes chronology, further reading, table of Protestant denominations or associations, and an index.

Muslims have been a vital presence in North America since the 16th century. Here for the first time is a brief introduction to the entire span of their religious history, featuring the stories and voices of Muslims Americans from every religious, racial, and ethnic background.

This title traces the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, which began in America in the early 1800s and continues today throughout the world. The book covers the church's origin and history and includes a well-balanced discussion of difficult issues such as polygamy.

David Brainerd is one of the most enigmatic figures in American religious history. Born in Connecticut in 1718, he entered Yale at the age of 21. Expelled in 1741 for refusing to accept the discipline of the college's administration, Brainerd was ordained by a local ministerial association. After a brief stint as an itinerant preacher, he began to minister among Native Americans - first the Mohicans in Massachusetts, then the Delaware Indians in Pennsylvania and NewJersey. After four years, he returned to New England, where he died of tuberculosis, at the home of Jonathan Edwards, at the age of thirty-one. As soon as he died, Brainerd's life entered the realm of legend. His story has been told in dozens of popular biographies, articles, and short essays. Almostwithout exception, these works are celebratory, even hagiographic in nature, making him into a kind of Protestant saint, a model for generations of missionaries. This book will be the first scholarly biography of Brainerd, drawing on everything from town records and published sermons to hand-written fragments to tell the story not only of Brainerd's life, but of his legend.

In this volume, Edwin Gaustad traces the complicated relationship of Church and state from the early colonial period, through the unique American experiment in religious liberty after the Revolution, to the ongoing debate over religious issues in our schools and communities.

Mormonism is one of the world''s fastest growing religions, doubling its membership every 15 years. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the formal denomination of the Mormon church) is now 10 million strong, with more than half of its membership coming from outside the United States. More than 88 million copies of The Book of Mormon have been printed, and it has been translated into more than 50 languages. Mormons in America tells the tumultuousstory of this religious group, from its humble origins in small-town New York State in 1830 to its present heyday. Claudia and Richard Bushman introduce us to charismatic leaders like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, go deep behind Mormon rites and traditions, take us along the adventurous trail of the Mormonpioneers into the West, evoke the momentous erection of Salt Lake City in the desert, and draw us into the dozens of skirmishes, verbal attacks, and court battles between Mormons and their neighbors, other religions, the media, and the American government.Religion in American Life explores the evolution, character, and dynamic of organized religion in America from 1500 to the present day. Written by distinguished historians of religion, these books weave together the varying stories that compose the religious fabric of the United States, from Puritanism to alternative religious practices. Primary source material coupled with handsome illustrations and lucid text make these books essential in any exploration of America''s diverse nature. Each bookincludes a chronology, suggestions for further reading, and an index.

Ann Braude demonstrates the important role of women in American religious history. Although women have until recently been barred from public religious leadership, their support has sustained American religious organizations for centuries. Focusing on this crucial role, Braude examines the influence of women on religious history, and the influence of religion on American women. Back matter includes chronology, general further reading and an index.

Many people believe that the piety of the Pilgrims typified early American religion. However, by the 1730s Catholics, Jews, and Africans had joined Native Americans, Puritans, and numerous other Protestants in the colonies. Jon Butler launches his narrative with a description of the state of religious affairs in both the Old and New Worlds. He explores the failure of John Winthrop''s goal to achieve Puritan perfection, the controversy over Anne Hutchinson''s tenaciousfaith, the evangelizing stamina of ex-slave and Methodist preacher Absalom Jones, and the spiritual resilience of the Catawba Indians. The meeting of these diverse groups and their varied use of music, dance, and ritual produced an unprecedented evolution of religious practice, including the birth ofrevivals. And through their daily interactions, these Americans created a living foundation for the First Amendment. After Independence their active diversity of faiths led Americans to the groundbreaking idea that government should abandon the use of law to support any religious group and should instead guarantee free exercise of religion for everyone.

An in-depth examination of African-American history and religion, this comprehensive book provides panoramic coverage of the black religious and social experience in America and thus chronicles the evolution of an important and influential component of our religious and historical heritage.

This book follows the momentous events and notable individuals in the history of the Orthodox dioceses in America. Erickson explains the huge impact Orthodox Christianity has had on the history of immigration, and how the religion has changed as a result of the American experience. Lively, engaging, and thoroughly researched, the book unveils insightful portrait of an ancient faith in a new world.

Catholicism has grown from a suppressed and persecuted outsiders' religion in the American colonies to become the nation's single largest denomination. James Fisher surveys more than four centuries of Catholics' involvement in American history, following the transformation of catholicism into one of America's most culturaly and ethnically diverse religions.

American religious history IS the history of immigration, from the first settlers in the 'Promised Land' to today's arrivals from every corner of the globe. Immigration and American Relgion in American Life series (Jon Butler and Harry S. Stout, general editors), examines the immigrant experience and the changes that arrivlas in the New World felt in their lives - and in the meaning of religion.