America's Religions: From Their Origins to the Twenty-first Century

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University of Illinois Press, Nov 15, 2015 - Religion - 624 pages
A classroom perennial and comprehensive guide, America's Religions lays out the background, beliefs, practices, and leaders of the nation's religious movements and denominations. The fourth edition, thoroughly revised and updated by Peter W. Williams, draws on the latest scholarship. In addition to reconsidering the history of America's mainline faiths, it delves into contemporary issues like religion's impact on politics and commerce; the increasingly high profile of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam; Mormonism's entry into the mainstream; and battles over gay marriage and ordination.

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Contents

Telling Stories
1
The Traditions
13
Early America Europeans Colonials and Traditional Peoples before the Revolution
105
Houses of Worship From Old World to New
165
Religious Community Formation in the New Republic
177
The End of the Frontier and the Rise of the CIty
243
American Judaism
329
The Twentieth Century and Beyond Further Encounters with Modernity and Pluralism
343
Culture Wars and Great Awakenings
519
Further Reading
539
Index
551
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About the author (2015)

Peter W. Williams is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion and American Studies at Miami University. He is the author of Popular Religion in America and Houses of God .

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