When Europeans first explored and colonized the North American continent, they brought generations of religious conflict and a rich array of Christianities with them. While a few elites may have expected a monolithic religion to emerge, Christianity has flowered in the United States, becoming far more complex than ever.
American Christianity Today gives readers a panoramic view of current American Christianity -- its people, conflicts, differences, and common ground. The book explores topics such as Christians in politics (both red and blue); Evangelicalism, missions, and current attitudes about faith sharing; Christianity's enduring presence in small rural areas and metropolitan cities; the ongoing importance of pilgrimage sites; Christian involvement in the entertainment industry; women and leadership; the rise of megachurches; and hot button topics like race, civil rights, immigration, abortion, and climate change. Daughrity also offers insight into the rise of the "nones," who are leaving religious faith altogether. This is not a monograph; it's an illustrated guidebook to promote conversation and understanding.
Dyron Daughrity is the William S. Banowsky Chair and Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University, where he also serves as Dean of the Religion and Philosophy Division. He has taught world religions for over two decades and is the author of More than One: An Introduction to World Religions. He is also the anthology editor for Bloomsbury’s Christianity in North America and The Essential Guide to Christianity.
“Dyron B. Daughrity’s work, American Christianity Today, provides a broad, panoramic view of the religious landscape in contemporary America. Daughrity’s research is thorough, objective, up-to-date, and lacking in sectarian bias. I strongly recommend it to those interested in gaining a broad understanding of religious life in twenty-first-century America.”
—Joseph J. Saggio, EdD, Professor Emeritus (Biblical & Theological Studies, Missions History), Nelson University, American Indian College Campus
“In this timely book Dyron B. Daughrity, a leading religious studies scholar, overviews the major movements, personalities, and issues that have made their mark on the development of Christianity in the United States and shaped the distinctiveness of American belief from the early colonial period to the present. Readers will encounter a thought-provoking interpretation of American Christianity that recognizes that Christianity remains a vital and growing force in American society.”
—Darin D. Lenz, PhD, Professor and Chair of History, Biola University
“In his new book, Dyron Daughrity addresses and contextualizes the apparent decline of Christianity in the United States. This up-to-date and accessible history provides a thorough overview of denominations’ origins and development, with additional chapters on thematic and topical issues of interest, such as politics and religion, Christianity in film and media, and Christian music. Suitable for undergraduate readers with helpful illustrations, lists, and chronologies, the book’s synthesis of current research also makes it indispensable to academics in religious studies and related fields. Wonderful book. Truly a useful and important contribution to scholarship.”
—Ellie Gebarowski-Shafer, DPhil, independent scholar of religion, author of many articles and book chapters on the history of the King James Bible in global Christianity
“This book provides an excellent introduction to how religiosity has been weaved into the social and political fabric of American history. Professor Daughrity skillfully explores the mosaic of traditions, much-debated issues, and key movements in American Christianity. This book offers a most thoughtful response to the perception of the death of religion in the United States. It examines how religion is still alive and well in various sectors of American life based on history and statistics.”
—Susangeline Y. Patrick, PhD, Associate Professor of World Christianity, author of Christians in the City of Shanghai and Art as a Pathway to God
“A sweeping account of contemporary Christianity in America, with particular attention to denominations, politics and religion, and the sustainability of religious communities.”
—Chester Gillis, author of Roman Catholicism in America
“Daughrity’s survey is wide-ranging yet manageable as a guide for teaching and research. His multipronged approach comprises traditions, critical issues, and important trends and brings out fresh perspectives on the most pressing topics shaping American Christianity today. I highly recommend it for its breadth, timeliness, and how it is especially well-suited for classroom use. American Christianity Today sets a new benchmark for subsequent surveys.”
—Lloyd D. Barba, PhD, author of Sowing the Sacred: Mexican Pentecostal Farmworkers in California, and Assistant Professor of Religion, Amherst College
“In this remarkably wide-ranging book, Dyron Daughrity succeeds in mapping the diversity of Christianity in the United States. Paying attention to an impressive array of themes and traditions and written with accessible prose, American Christianity Today serves as a vital new resource for professors seeking to introduce students to American Christianity and for general readers trying to understand their religious context.”
—Thomas E. I. Whittaker, PhD, Assistant Professor of History, LeTourneau University
ISBN 9781684260539
Pages 304
Dimensions (inches) 8.5 x 11
Weight (pounds) .5
