Description:
The evolution of religious diversity and complexity in the United States is explained clearly in this richly illustrated historical work.
This volume provides an overview of the more than 400 native tribal religions at the time of Columbus, examines the major survivors, and discusses contemporary efforts to breathe new life into old faiths. The book charts the initial colonization and the arrival of religious pioneers and tells how religious groups in the post Revolutionary era struggled with their new dependence on voluntary member support. This easy to read, easy to understand reference work outlines the evolution, key developments, and seminal figures in this most tolerant of religious settings.
American Religions: An Illustrated History is generously enhanced with more than 200 illustrations--many of them rare--and written in accessible language without scholarly jargon.
- Divided into eight concise chronological and thematic chapters
- Includes a comprehensive introduction and chapter bibliographies
Brief description:
J. Gordon Melton is director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa Barbara, CA.
Review Quotes: "Recommended for high school level and beyond, and would make a good addition to a public library, community college, or undergraduate college collection." --American Reference Books Annual