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American Religious History
Join historian Patrick N. Allitt in exploring the story of religious life in America from the first European contacts to the late 20th century.
Along the way, you learn the answers to two important questions:
Why does America, unlike virtually any other industrial nation, continue to show so much religious vitality?
Why are the varieties of religion found here so numerous and diverse?
The best way to look for explanations of this truly remarkable vitality and diversity, argues Professor Allitt, is to study the nation's religious history.
On the one hand, that study includes examining religion from the directions you might expect, including its formal beliefs, ideas, communal or institutional loyalties, and its styles of worship.
But Professor Allitt also examines religion's influence on life "beyond the pews"—investigating the subtle but important links that have long brought religion into close contact with the intellectual, social, economic, and political concerns of Americans.
To give a notable and recent example: Professor Allitt explains how Martin Luther King, Jr., used a mixture of biblical references and appeals to patriotism to press the case for civil rights.
He also reflects on American religion as a sensory experience—a phenomenon whose deep spiritual and social meanings can in part be:
Seen in the design of churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples
Heard in the sacred sounds of hymns, prayers, and chants
Smelled in Catholic or Buddhist incense
Tasted, as you discover in learning why the casserole may be the most "Protestant" of all dishes!
The Living Voice
A wonderful feature of these lectures is Professor Allitt's practice of reading aloud from primary sources, including first-person documents, as if to give history back its voice. Some readings are quite famous; others are rescued from obscurity.
You will find them by turns sublime, deeply moving, informative, and at times even charming. They include:
Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
Martin Luther King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech
A Civil War veteran's memory of how Catholic sisters cared for the wounded after the Battle of Shiloh
The heartfelt letter to Virginia's governor in which John Rolfe explains his spiritual motives for wishing to marry Pocahontas
An account of the religious diversity of New York City—in 1683
An Anglican cleric's impressions of revivalism in the Carolinas during the First Great Awakening of the 1740s.
Richly Detailed Personal Glimpses
You'll also enjoy biographical sketches and anecdotes about dozens of brilliant, charismatic, or otherwise remarkable American religious figures, among them:
Puritan divine Cotton Mather
Mormon prophet Joseph Smith
Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy
The patriotic revivalist Billy Sunday, who during World War I said, "If you turn hell over, you'll find 'Made in Germany' stamped on the bottom!"
After scene-setting lectures that explain the religious situation of Europe in the early modern period and the spirituality of native Americans, Professor Allitt moves on to discussions of religion during the colonial and founding eras, including:
The Puritans
The Great Awakenings
The Revolution
The flowering of uniquely American religious tendencies such as Mormonism
The story of African American religion
The sectional crisis and Civil War.
Religion in a Changing Society
By the mid-19th century, the American religious landscape was growing more variegated. Large numbers of Catholics, first from Ireland and later from Germany, Poland, and Italy, were coming to what had been an overwhelmingly Protestant land. And growing numbers of Jewish immigrants further diversified the urban religious landscape later in the century.
You learn how both groups sometimes became targets of suspicion and intolerance.
Professor Allitt also discusses another rising reality of the times—the rapid growth of industrial cities and an economically vulnerable working class.
Challenges for Religious Leaders
Faced with these new conditions, religious leaders had to rethink the relationships among virtue, prosperity, and God's favor.
And still another challenge came from 19th-century discoveries in geology, biology, physics, archaeology, and comparative religion.
All of these raised questions about the authority and origins of the Bible. Evolution in particular presented a world of constant predation and strife, promising anything but divinely sponsored harmony.
The 20th century inherited these dilemmas, and they continue to resonate up to the present, with strains between liberal and more traditional Protestants being only one example.
Professor Allitt leads you through these storylines very closely during the second half of the course, paying special attention to the possible implications they carry for church-state relations.
You learn how cherished First Amendment principles of church-state separation an...
Along the way, you learn the answers to two important questions:
Why does America, unlike virtually any other industrial nation, continue to show so much religious vitality?
Why are the varieties of religion found here so numerous and diverse?
The best way to look for explanations of this truly remarkable vitality and diversity, argues Professor Allitt, is to study the nation's religious history.
On the one hand, that study includes examining religion from the directions you might expect, including its formal beliefs, ideas, communal or institutional loyalties, and its styles of worship.
But Professor Allitt also examines religion's influence on life "beyond the pews"—investigating the subtle but important links that have long brought religion into close contact with the intellectual, social, economic, and political concerns of Americans.
To give a notable and recent example: Professor Allitt explains how Martin Luther King, Jr., used a mixture of biblical references and appeals to patriotism to press the case for civil rights.
He also reflects on American religion as a sensory experience—a phenomenon whose deep spiritual and social meanings can in part be:
Seen in the design of churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples
Heard in the sacred sounds of hymns, prayers, and chants
Smelled in Catholic or Buddhist incense
Tasted, as you discover in learning why the casserole may be the most "Protestant" of all dishes!
The Living Voice
A wonderful feature of these lectures is Professor Allitt's practice of reading aloud from primary sources, including first-person documents, as if to give history back its voice. Some readings are quite famous; others are rescued from obscurity.
You will find them by turns sublime, deeply moving, informative, and at times even charming. They include:
Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
Martin Luther King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech
A Civil War veteran's memory of how Catholic sisters cared for the wounded after the Battle of Shiloh
The heartfelt letter to Virginia's governor in which John Rolfe explains his spiritual motives for wishing to marry Pocahontas
An account of the religious diversity of New York City—in 1683
An Anglican cleric's impressions of revivalism in the Carolinas during the First Great Awakening of the 1740s.
Richly Detailed Personal Glimpses
You'll also enjoy biographical sketches and anecdotes about dozens of brilliant, charismatic, or otherwise remarkable American religious figures, among them:
Puritan divine Cotton Mather
Mormon prophet Joseph Smith
Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy
The patriotic revivalist Billy Sunday, who during World War I said, "If you turn hell over, you'll find 'Made in Germany' stamped on the bottom!"
After scene-setting lectures that explain the religious situation of Europe in the early modern period and the spirituality of native Americans, Professor Allitt moves on to discussions of religion during the colonial and founding eras, including:
The Puritans
The Great Awakenings
The Revolution
The flowering of uniquely American religious tendencies such as Mormonism
The story of African American religion
The sectional crisis and Civil War.
Religion in a Changing Society
By the mid-19th century, the American religious landscape was growing more variegated. Large numbers of Catholics, first from Ireland and later from Germany, Poland, and Italy, were coming to what had been an overwhelmingly Protestant land. And growing numbers of Jewish immigrants further diversified the urban religious landscape later in the century.
You learn how both groups sometimes became targets of suspicion and intolerance.
Professor Allitt also discusses another rising reality of the times—the rapid growth of industrial cities and an economically vulnerable working class.
Challenges for Religious Leaders
Faced with these new conditions, religious leaders had to rethink the relationships among virtue, prosperity, and God's favor.
And still another challenge came from 19th-century discoveries in geology, biology, physics, archaeology, and comparative religion.
All of these raised questions about the authority and origins of the Bible. Evolution in particular presented a world of constant predation and strife, promising anything but divinely sponsored harmony.
The 20th century inherited these dilemmas, and they continue to resonate up to the present, with strains between liberal and more traditional Protestants being only one example.
Professor Allitt leads you through these storylines very closely during the second half of the course, paying special attention to the possible implications they carry for church-state relations.
You learn how cherished First Amendment principles of church-state separation an...
12 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 27, 2017
This set of lectures is a very good survey of the history and societal evolution of religion in America, starting with the native Americans and moving on to the increasing numbers of religiously disgruntled and persecuted Western European immigrants. For me, the lectures represented more a philosophical transition of religious beliefs modified by patriotic fervor. The religious philosophies often were in open conflict, but more commonly agreed to peacefully coexist, quietly sniping at one another either over the occasional Monkey Trial or the benefits of no-meat-Fridays. But in the long run, the country was made stronger because of this religious tension, but could be jeopardized by fierce over-reactions when that religious 'line-in-the-sand' is crossed (sorta like it is today in 2017 in the case of the reactions to 9/11 and immigration). The lectures make you think...
Good lecture set...Dr Allitt speaks very well, in a clear, wonderfully accented cadence. The lectures are well organized and fit well in the other lectures series that examine America's history.
Recommended, especially when you can snag it at a 90% discount, and have a coupon up your sleeve.
Good lecture set...Dr Allitt speaks very well, in a clear, wonderfully accented cadence. The lectures are well organized and fit well in the other lectures series that examine America's history.
Recommended, especially when you can snag it at a 90% discount, and have a coupon up your sleeve.
March 29, 2018
It started a bit slowly and ended with a bit of a whimper, but I certainly enjoyed everything in between. The professor tells stories well, he is very well organized, and clearly takes delight in his subjects. I enjoyed his discussion of the interplay among the various faiths in America as well as the interplay of the faiths with society and culture in terms of shaping values. I am struck by the resilience of fundamentalism. I also particularly enjoyed his discussion of the complexities created by the American attempt to separate church and state. It is not as simple as it sounds! I would recommend this to a fairly wide audience of both my history and religious friends.
May 13, 2019
Except for learning some about the puritans, shakers, and a few other religious early American settlers, my knowledge of American Religious history has been quite limited. This series was especially helpful for getting a high level overview of the first and second Great Awakenings, as well as many short-lived religious cults and offshoots. Additionally, it was very interesting learning about the roots of Methodism and other Protestant groups, which have greatly shaped my own religious experience.
March 1, 2022
Good introductory overview to the material. Allitt is clearly passionate about the subject, without revealing any obvious biases. I believe he is either an Anglican or an Episcopal but seems genuinely interested in learning from all corners of American Christianity. Ultimately, he fails to arrive at anything too profound-- a side effect of his neutrality, perhaps-- but nonetheless presents a series of deeply entertaining and informative lectures.
June 17, 2018
Professor Allitt is an earnest lecturer. I have listened to other courses by him. I have enjoyed everyone. This is a huge subject to cover in only 24 lectures, as he admits. The only error I detected was his attributing the song "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison to the Beatles. Easy to do, and shows that he is not a student of the Fab Four!
November 11, 2018
😇This is my second time listening to these lectures— so far, it’s my favorite of the Great Courses. Prof Allit is very fun to listen to: his passion is contagious, his accent endearing, and his delivery impeccable! Also, he chuckles at his own jokes.
September 12, 2024
Verta skaityti bendram Amerikos kultūros ir visuomenės supratimui. Amerikos, kaip ir neabejotinai bet kurios kitos, visuomenės kultūra, tradicijos ir pasaulėžiūra tiesiogiai susiję su tos visuomenės religija ir jos vystymusi. Amerikos visuomenės atvejis tikriausiai būtų įdomiausias ir unikaliausias dėl tos priežasties, kad šią visuomenę formavo daugelio tautų ir skirtingų religijų imigrantai iš Europos. Atsiradę juodaodžiai bei vietiniai Amerikos gyventojai taip pat įnešė savo koloritą į šį procesą.
May 31, 2021
Many interesting facets of American religious life; however, there seemed little that held the lectures together, which seemed to be why the publishers put together the series. Very little, I thought, in the way of reconciling varying beliefs under the umbrella of uniquely American religious liberty. Not a fail necessarily, but a touch disappointing.
September 24, 2023
This lecture series takes a unique perspective to the history of religion in the United States. The most intriguing part to me was how our politics has influenced our religion and vice versa. Even phrases like “in God we trust” are not as apolitical as they seem, nor religious.
September 4, 2017
Excellent course. Listened to it on Audible.
August 1, 2018
This course helped me realize how ignorant of American Religious History I really was. I enjoyed listening to Mr. Allitt. He brought the information to life to me. Listen!
September 25, 2019
2001, a, Great Courses
March 14, 2020
Allitt is always a joy to listen to. Informative, knowledgeable and engaging.
April 7, 2022
Good overview of how religion has permeated American society from the beginning to the present day.
March 3, 2023
24 Lectures covering European roots to the Puritans to revolutionary times to African American spin to the civil war to Judaism to civil rights and finally church and state. Fantastic survey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2023
Brilliant, analytical and added a bunch more books to my list
May 11, 2025
7: interesting
July 13, 2025
24 audio lectures + 129 page course guidebook. Very good and interesting - 3.5 stars.
November 16, 2025
This is a very insightful series of lectures by a person who had lived among us for years but grew up in Great Britain.
December 22, 2016
Patrick Allitt is an excellent lecturer. He was very engaging and fun to listen to. Occasionally, he got a few details wrong, but it was nothing serious and certainly not maliciously misleading by any means. The course itself was pretty good. It was organized mostly chronologically which is an easy framework to follow. However, he would sometimes do some more thematic lectures--like "Church and State" or "Religion and Science"--that would review major development over longer spans of time. These were very helpful for giving students a broader view of the influence of religion in regard to major movements in US history.
Admittedly, much of what is in this series, I had heard or read before. But I have listened to and read a lot of books on the subject of religion and/or history of religion--Prothero's "God is Not One," Mark Berkson's "Cultural Literacy for Religion," and Frank Lambert's "Religion in American Politics," just to name a few. But for those who have never read or listened to anything else on religion in America, this course is a pretty good place to start. It's a very broad survey of the subject, and he does offer quite a few suggestions for further reading that I am very interested in pursuing. So readers will find that very helpful.
One of the things I really like about the Great American Courses series is that each lecture is right around 30 minutes. That is just a good block of time to be able to listen to one and then do something else--or decided you want another one.
This series is definitely worth your time and is something that everyone should be aware of at some level in order to increase their understanding of religious and secular worldviews in America. We would all be better off if we knew more about the worldviews and experience of our neighbors. I really feel like this is key to creating a more civil and tolerant society.
Admittedly, much of what is in this series, I had heard or read before. But I have listened to and read a lot of books on the subject of religion and/or history of religion--Prothero's "God is Not One," Mark Berkson's "Cultural Literacy for Religion," and Frank Lambert's "Religion in American Politics," just to name a few. But for those who have never read or listened to anything else on religion in America, this course is a pretty good place to start. It's a very broad survey of the subject, and he does offer quite a few suggestions for further reading that I am very interested in pursuing. So readers will find that very helpful.
One of the things I really like about the Great American Courses series is that each lecture is right around 30 minutes. That is just a good block of time to be able to listen to one and then do something else--or decided you want another one.
This series is definitely worth your time and is something that everyone should be aware of at some level in order to increase their understanding of religious and secular worldviews in America. We would all be better off if we knew more about the worldviews and experience of our neighbors. I really feel like this is key to creating a more civil and tolerant society.
November 9, 2013
I never would have sought out this course, but I downloaded it on a whim, based entirely upon the reviews at The Great Courses website.
I must say I've watched or listened to over 30 of The Great Courses' wonderful titles, and found this to be one of the most delightful and captivating.
Professor Allitt is completely engaging, and packs each lecture with great portraits of historical significance, entertaining anecdotes, and recommendations for continued reading.
His enthusiasm for the subject is evident throughout, and his ability to help one view the U.S. through an outsider's perspective (he's British) makes him a modern day de Tocqueville.
If I had any complaint, it might be that non-western religions get very little attention. However, that very well may be the proper proportion given the dominance of judeo-christian religions in U.S. history.
Do not hesitate to listen to this course. It's a guaranteed winner.
I must say I've watched or listened to over 30 of The Great Courses' wonderful titles, and found this to be one of the most delightful and captivating.
Professor Allitt is completely engaging, and packs each lecture with great portraits of historical significance, entertaining anecdotes, and recommendations for continued reading.
His enthusiasm for the subject is evident throughout, and his ability to help one view the U.S. through an outsider's perspective (he's British) makes him a modern day de Tocqueville.
If I had any complaint, it might be that non-western religions get very little attention. However, that very well may be the proper proportion given the dominance of judeo-christian religions in U.S. history.
Do not hesitate to listen to this course. It's a guaranteed winner.
August 28, 2015
Another great lecture by the inimitable Patrick Allitt. I found it to be a bit lighter and less thorough than his lectures on the Industrial Revolution and the British Empire, but it was still interesting. One definitely gets a sense of the way that religion has shaped American history, and vice versa. It's particularly interesting to see the evolution (ha!) of the particularly American brand of Christian fundamentalism that has had such influence during the 20th century.
My main disappointment was the lack of any discussion (except a brief bit in the epilogue) of American civil religion, and the way that nationalism can act as a substitute for religion even among the atheistic. For more information on that subject, I highly recommend Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence.
My main disappointment was the lack of any discussion (except a brief bit in the epilogue) of American civil religion, and the way that nationalism can act as a substitute for religion even among the atheistic. For more information on that subject, I highly recommend Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence.
December 8, 2015
This is the 24th “book” in my American history series. This is worth going back to in the future. It’s definitely a survey course and it doesn’t go deeply into much of anything. Of course it covers Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism during various time periods. I liked the lectures on the two Great Awakenings, The Puritans, Oneida and The Mormons (wished there were more stuff like this). And the lecture towards the end on Asian Religions in the U.S.A. was also particularly good. It was interesting to see how some of these lectures matched up with lectures in the third half of the United States History lectures series which Professor Allitt also did.
May 9, 2016
It was very interesting and informative to hear the development of religious praxis in America. Allitt demonstrates an unbiased (as much as possible) view of religious traditions.
November 5, 2012
24 audio lectures + 129 page course guidebook. Very good and interesting - 3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews