To tell the story of America is, in many ways, to tell the story of religion in America. At every point in its history, America was, and still is, religious—and diversely so. To understand how religion shaped America’s history is to trace the influence of America’s dominant faith tradition, Christianity. But American Christianity, like religion in America, is a wonderfully varied movement. In this comprehensive, eminently readable introduction, Christopher Evans maps the pluralism of American Christianity around its historic center, demonstrating the enduring role of Protestantism despite the wide assortment of distinctly American religious innovation.
In Histories of American Christianity, Evans thus narrates the intellectual history, chronicles the story of sectarian divisions, and explores how Christianity became so intertwined with and pervasive in public life. But Evans also shines fresh light on what has been omitted. Through the use of individual stories focusing on the traditionally marginalized—e.g., women, African Americans, and Latino/a descendants—Evans weaves together a tapestry of American-Christian orthodoxy and tradition over the centuries. What results is a readable and teachable volume, grounded in research and packed with critical reflection that chronicles America’s rich Christian history.
