Themes in Religion and American Culture

“Gracefully written. . . . This collection of essays takes a giant step.” — CHOICE

“The study of North American religions has grown well beyond its roots as a subdiscipline of American intellectual history, and the field is now broad enough to support synthetic works that eschew chronology in favor of organizational schemes that are more compatible with the methods of scholars trained in anthropology, gender studies, literature, or sociology. For instructors seeking narrative coherence for thematic courses, this innovative, comprehensive, and provocative collection of essays may be the most important textbook on North American religions to appear in more than two decades.” — Church History

“Goff and Harvey hit upon the brilliant structural concept of organizing the book by 11 broad topics, and then chronologically within each topic, to allow students to see how a theme plays out through generations and across religions. . . . The fact that [the essays] can stand alone and be read in any order makes them ideal for classroom use or for the general reader. Overall, this primer is a breath of fresh air; it maintains the integrity of the overall story while giving due attention to its various parts.” — Publishers Weekly

“General readers with an interest in U.S. culture and politics will find an engaging set of perspectives on the relationship between religion and race, gender, ethnicity, government, and science. . . . What keeps this book accessible and engaging is the editing approach. . . . College students of religion or of American history will be fortunate if their professors choose Themes in Religion and American Culture. They will find lucid insight into the history of religion in the United States. And anyone else seeking to understand the too-often politicized culture of religion will find clarity, which is the true gift of history.” — Indianapolis Star

“This textbook, which enlists some of the best and brightest scholars of the younger generation, synthesizes the latest developments in the field in a series of thematic essays. It provides a major alternative to textbooks organized chronologically or by traditions and should definitely find a place in undergraduate courses on American religious history.” — Ann Taves, Claremont School of Theology

“Beautifully written and elegantly organized, this is the first truly thematic introduction to U.S. religion, and the first to take Native American religions seriously. Highly recommended.” — Stephen Prothero, Boston University