Religion in American History

Religion in American History: A Reader
Jon Butler and Harry S. Stout, editors.
New York: Oxford University, 1998.
517 pages.
ISBN 0-19-509776-9

Seeking to convey the new dynamism of American religious studies to a wider audience, Jon Butler and Harry S. Stout's work creatively introduces the process of making historical judgments to readers. Volumes on American history usually feature either primary documents containing essential works or secondary essays by scholars who comment on a subject or time period. In contrast, this book includes both primary and secondary sources. The volume explores not only how historical actors disagreed over issues of burning concern, such as slavery, but also how scholars arrive at conflicting interpretations using similar evidence. Such an approach enables students to get at the heart of what learning and writing about religious history is all about. The authors thereby reach their goal of communicating "the sheer excitement and satisfaction of exploring religion as a means of better understanding our times (1)."

The essays in the Reader reflect the diversity of current and classical approaches to the study of religion on topics that run the gamut from Puritan intellectuals to Lakota Ghost Dances. As shown by these essays, actors from many religious traditions have shaped the contemporary American religious scene: immigrant Catholics, Puritan divines, women occultists, Protestant fundamentalists, Native American visionaries, Black reformers, Mormons, and Jews. Some essays address the perennial social challenges faced by all religions at one time or another, such as immigration, assimilation, and bigotry. Other articles demonstrate the importance of using the categories of gender, race, and class to make sense of religious phenomena. Finally, several essays explore the often explosive, and always unpredictable, relationship of religion and politics in such events as the American Revolution and Civil Rights movement.

How can this volume be used in the classroom? Several aides help the reader in getting the most out of the collection. An introduction provides ideas for class discussions for teachers and students. Annotations explain the context in which each essay was written and what questions the author intended to answer. The editors provide a list of additional reading for those seeking to deepen their knowledge of a topic for a lecture or paper. Essays are grouped into three sections: the colonial period, the nineteenth century, and the twentieth century. Each section starts with a short introduction to orient the reader and includes seven to nine essays.

This reader offers much to both teachers and advanced students. While these essays represent some of the most significant works in their respective fields, they are of a manageable length, often being only ten pages long (without the footnotes), and make for stimulating reading. Teachers will find this collection useful in enlivening their lectures in American history and religion. Advanced students in honors or advanced placement courses will find the collection's format and aides helpful in sharpening their critical skills of historical interpretation.

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