American Christianities: A History of Dominance and Diversity

From the founding of the first colonies until the present, the influence of Christianity, as the dominant faith in American society, has extended far beyond church pews into the wider culture. Yet, at the same time, Christians in the United States have disagreed sharply about the meaning of their shared tradition, and, divided by denominational affiliation, race, and ethnicity, they have taken stances on every side of contested public issues from slavery to women's rights. This volume of twenty-two original essays, contributed by a group of prominent thinkers in American religious studies, provides a sophisticated understanding of both the diversity and the alliances among Christianities in the United States and the influences that have shaped churches and the nation in reciprocal ways. explores this paradoxical dynamic of dominance and diversity that are the true marks of a faith too often perceived as homogeneous and monolithic. Contributors: Catherine L. Albanese, University of California, Santa BarbaraJames B. Bennett, Santa Clara UniversityEdith Blumhofer, Wheaton College Ann Braude, Harvard Divinity SchoolCatherine A. Brekus, University of Chicago Divinity SchoolKristina Bross, Purdue UniversityRebecca L. Davis, University of DelawareCurtis J. Evans, University of Chicago Divinity SchoolTracy Fessenden, Arizona State University Kathleen Flake, Vanderbilt University Divinity SchoolW. Clark Gilpin, University of Chicago Divinity SchoolStewart M. Hoover, University of Colorado at BoulderJeanne Halgren Kilde, University of MinnesotaDavid W. Kling, University of MiamiTimothy S. Lee, Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian UniversityDan McKanan, Harvard Divinity SchoolMichael D. McNally, Carleton CollegeMark A. Noll, University of Notre DameJon Pahl, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at PhiladelphiaSally M. Promey, Yale UniversityJon H. Roberts, Boston UniversityJonathan D. Sarna, Brandeis University