America's Religions: From Their Origins to the Twenty-first CenturyA 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. |
From inside the book
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Page xii
... worship the divine with the divine itself. Religions are aspects of human culture, and they and their fashioners partake of the same foibles as all others who share in the finite and fallible human condition. Therefore, I have tried to ...
... worship the divine with the divine itself. Religions are aspects of human culture, and they and their fashioners partake of the same foibles as all others who share in the finite and fallible human condition. Therefore, I have tried to ...
Page 4
... worship, a local congregation, a regional or national institution, or the totality of the membership, past, present, and even future, in a religious community. Religious institutions are carried on through personnel, in this country ...
... worship, a local congregation, a regional or national institution, or the totality of the membership, past, present, and even future, in a religious community. Religious institutions are carried on through personnel, in this country ...
Page 21
... worship or liturgy, the end of which is to establish—or, more properly reestablish—an efficacious relationship between two or more realms of being. The content and function of myth and ritual can best be understood in the context of ...
... worship or liturgy, the end of which is to establish—or, more properly reestablish—an efficacious relationship between two or more realms of being. The content and function of myth and ritual can best be understood in the context of ...
Page 33
... worship, the role of the priest, who conducted cultic sacrifices therein, became obsolete. In place of the priest emerged the rabbi, or “teacher,” who has persisted to the present as the Jewish religious leader in diaspora ...
... worship, the role of the priest, who conducted cultic sacrifices therein, became obsolete. In place of the priest emerged the rabbi, or “teacher,” who has persisted to the present as the Jewish religious leader in diaspora ...
Page 34
... worship bears several names: Shul—“school” or “house of study,” a traditional Yiddish term; Synagogue—probably most familiar, originally signifying the congregation meeting in diaspora for worship, and later coming to mean primarily the ...
... worship bears several names: Shul—“school” or “house of study,” a traditional Yiddish term; Synagogue—probably most familiar, originally signifying the congregation meeting in diaspora for worship, and later coming to mean primarily the ...
Contents
1 | |
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 |
Other editions - View all
America's Religions: From Their Origins to the Twenty-first Century Peter W. Williams Limited preview - 2002 |
America's Religions: From Their Origins to the Twenty-first Century Peter W. Williams Limited preview - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
active African American American Jews American religious Anglican Baptist became began belief bishop broader Buddhism Catholic Church Catholicism Christian Civil clergy colonial Congregationalists congregations conservative contemporary context continued culture decades denominations developed distinctive divine early emerged emphasis England English Episcopal Church Episcopalians especially established ethnic European evangelical example followers German God’s groups Hebrew holiness human immigration Indian institutional Irish American Islam issues Jesus Jewish Jews Judaism later liberal liturgical Luther Lutheran mainline major megachurches membership Methodist moral Mormon movement Muslims Native Native American nineteenth century one’s organized origins Orthodox pentecostal political popular practice Presbyterian priests Protestant Protestantism Puritan radical realm Reformed religion result revival ritual role Roman Catholic sacraments schools scripture Second Great Awakening secular Seminary social Social Gospel society South southern spiritual teaching themes theological tion traditional twentieth century Unitarian United urban variety Vatican Vatican II women worship