The Politics of American Religious Identity

“This highly informative and enjoyable book may appeal equally to both scholars and readers interested in American political or religious history in general and Mormon studies in particular.” — Nova Religio

“[This] sharp, short book not only reinterprets the transition [to modernity] but also suggests a general proposition about religious and political authority in modern America. The Politics of American Religious Identity will have a wide readership.” — Journal of American History

“Flake knows the power of narrative. She is steeped in the practice of law and in the study of constitutional history, religion, feminist theory, ritual, and identity formation. No more sophisticated mind has turned its attention to the history of the Latter-day Saints.” — American Historical Review

“The first book-length account of the trial . . . an important study — wide-ranging, deeply researched, and full of insight.” — Western Historical Quarterly

“[An] outstanding historical study. . . . [Flake] draws upon her legal expertise to help readers understand the [Smoot] trial testimony. . . . In a particularly brilliant chapter, Flake traces the rise of Mormon restorationist impulses in the early 20th century.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Flake tells a little-known yet very important story about the development of American pluralism. . . . [Smoot] deserves national affection, as the central figure in a key incident in the growth of religious tolerance in the United States.” — National Review

“[Flake] tells the story of Smoot and the anti-Mormon prejudice he faced in a style that is straightforward, unadorned, and inviting. Her book is a balanced and readable rendition of an important and sometimes neglected chapter in Utah and American history.” — Salt Lake Tribune

“Serious students of Mormon history should read and emulate Flake’s placement of Mormon history in a larger context of the American experience.” — Utah Historical Quarterly

“Flake’s excellent monograph illustrates the significance of religion in the Progressive Era and brilliantly puts it into context by linking it to critical themes. . . . Flake deserves high praise for assembling a creative, insightful project supported by thorough, balanced research and for using her legal background to craft a clear discussion of complex events.” — BYU Studies

“This dazzling book makes a significant contribution to Mormon studies, as well as to American religious and political history by explaining for the first time the reconciliation of the Mormon church and the broader political culture in the early twentieth century. Flake demonstrates convincingly that the brilliant tactics of Mormon president Joseph Fielding Smith, who endured the hostile questioning of senators after the election of Apostle Reed Smoot and led his followers to accept the abandonment of plural marriage, created the atmosphere in which mutual accommodation was possible.” — Sarah Barringer Gordon, Princeton University