What do you think?
Rate this book
The Religious History of America: The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today – Faith's Central Place in the Nation's Journey and Development
A Dynamic Account of Religion's Central Role in American History
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
116 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
About the author
Edwin S. Gaustad
53 books15 followersA leading scholar of American religious history, Edwin Scott Gaustad was Professor of History at the University of California, Riverside. He earned his B.A. in history from Baylor University (1947), and his M.A. (1948) and Ph.D. (1951) in History of Religions from Brown University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 9, 2021
The history of America is a history of religion. The Religious History of America sometimes reads like a general history book. Perhaps this is because isolating all other aspects of American history from religion would be impossible. American history is inseparably entwined with her spirituality. At other times, the book goes into great detail over particular views, beliefs, and actions believed or committed by various religions and their divisions.
Throughout the volume, Edwin Scott Gaustad shows his expertise as a historian and a writer. As a historian noted for his work on religious history in America, he did most of his scholarly work from a professorship at Baylor University. After a lifetime of publishing achievements, his writing is very clear and understandable (if a bit tedious at times due to the immensity of the content). Inside The Religious History of America, his opinions and biases are seldom, if ever, recognizable. He allows the characters of history to speak for themselves.
Nor does Gaustad seek to brush the embarrassments of history under the rug of time. He expresses the victories of various sects while simultaneously sharing their downfalls and defeats. From the Anglicans who sought to aid in building order but fought religious freedom, to the pacifist Shakers who all but died out due to celibacy, to the Baptists whose evangelistic efforts shook the nation but whose historical mindset towards slavery leaves a noticeable stain, Gaustad is balanced in his representation of religious groups.
Gaustad covers the breadth of popular (and unpopular) religions in the New World throughout the book. Though Protestantism is covered more thoroughly than any other religion, this is only because of its place at the top of the hierarchy in American religious popularity. Gaustad does not neglect Indigenous Animism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, or Judaism. He covers these (and more) as they relate to America quite thoroughly in his 464 pages.
The book is broken into four parts: Religion in the Colonial Era, Religious Ferment from the Revolution to the Civil War, Modern Prospects from Cityscapes to Bible Battles, and Religious Transformation from World War II to the New Millennium. A very helpful suggested reading list with thorough annotations concludes each section.
Gaustad tracks the religious history of America chronologically, not by religion or denomination. This chronological style leads to an insightful bird’s eye view of America’s religious history and makes it an invaluable tool for the researcher who has questions about the spiritual climate of any one period. This bird’s eye view also illuminates how seemingly disconnected religious events hundreds of years ago impact present-day society and culture in America. Every piece of American history seems connected to every other piece in brilliant—and sometimes shocking—ways.
The first section of The Religious History of America summarizes the spiritual beginnings of the New World. Gaustad begins by explaining that the religious history of America is not tied to one tradition but multiple religions and denominations. Gaustad focuses this first section on tracing each of these religions and sects. He even briefly covers the beliefs of the Indigenous people, though to cover the entire tradition of this scattered and diverse people would deserve a volume of its own.
The theme of the first section is religious settlement. What were the philosophies behind the founding of the individual colonies? Puritan, Anglican, Quaker, and Catholic settlements are all discussed. These settlements led to colonies, each stamped with a specific denomination. Religious liberty, which caused much immigration to the New World, was ironically limited in many of these colonies, though others allowed for significantly more freedom, for example, in Quaker Pennsylvania.
The second section covers the period from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War. The founding of America was inherently religious. Most of the founding fathers were deeply influenced by both orthodox Christianity and the humanistic enlightenment. This syncretism of philosophies led to a humanistic deism in many of the founding fathers. God exists, but revelation is subjective, and God is often distant from His creation. Deism was a heavy influence on the separation of church and state. Gaustad gives particular attention to Thomas Jefferson, whose writings provide exceptional care to cover his philosophy on religious liberty and the separation of church and state. These two principles led to voluntarism by the American religions that outrivaled the forced religious rites of previous history.
The first section covers the Great Awakening; the second covers the Second Great Awakening. Both revivalist movements affected many social aspects of the young nation. Many of these effects are still felt in church culture today. Gaustad writes how these movements affected the country, and not just the poor and uneducated but also the higher classes. The Second Great Awakening became an enormous influence on western expansion. With their weeklong activities and forceful preaching, its camp meetings were times of community, repentance, and spiritual renewal.
The church was heavily affected by the Civil War. Slavery and its moral ills divided not only a nation but also her various denominations. Abolitionists actively and intellectually fought slavery, while slaveholders and supporters pragmatically supported it. Notably, the Baptists split north and south during this period over the rights of slaveholders.
The third section covers the years between the Civil War and World War II. During this time, the now-adolescent country began to grow and burst forth with immigration. Due to the overwhelming growth and lack of promised opportunity, cities became crowded and poor. Christian voluntarism grew to unprecedented levels, not just in these impoverished cities but across the world. International missionary work came to its highest level in American history.
Towards the end of this period, Christianity began to see multiple schisms on the so-called dividing line of faith and reason. Numerous groups were split based on Darwinism, higher criticism, and liberalism introduced into the church. Almost all groups in America were affected by this new form of scholarship sans the Eastern Orthodox and its various groups, which were held together by familial and national identities.
To combat this movement, preachers like T. DeWitt Talmage and Billy Sunday began fighting evolution while scholars like J. Gresham Machen battled liberalism. A written standard was set with the advent of fundamentalism. With its five fundamentals, conservative Christians now had a simple formula to vet the theology of other Christians against the literal claims of Scripture.
The fourth section covers the period between WWII and the new millennium. Here, the old tenet of separation of church and state was tested with the education of students. By this point in history, children's education was mainly under the state's authority. Therefore, should schools teach religion? Should they not teach the science of the day, evolution?
One such incident brought this battle to the forefront. The misstep by fundamentalists in the Scopes Trial would set the course for education for the next century. While the fundamentalists won the trial, it was at a significant cultural loss due to the prosecutor’s poor handling of the case.
Regardless, during this century, the churches in America grew to their largest sizes, with preachers like Billy Graham taking the forefront. His meetings harkened back to the Second Great Awakening camp meetings, and he brought in thousands to partake of his electric Gospel of repentance.
Activism was on the rise. During this period, the civil rights movement began and brought segregation to its knees. Unfortunately, some Christians were still divided over this moral evil. Not only was the civil rights movement on the rise, but more contested views like gay rights were fought over. It is not hard to see where many of the current societal debates stem from in today's world.
The Religious History of America is thorough. No, it does not cover every issue, nor is that necessarily what the author intended. The book is already large and filled with many of the events and philosophies that characterize the spiritual history of America. Gaustad’s work is balanced. Students of history will find in it an excellent resource for research. It is a volume everyone interested in American religious history should own.
Throughout the volume, Edwin Scott Gaustad shows his expertise as a historian and a writer. As a historian noted for his work on religious history in America, he did most of his scholarly work from a professorship at Baylor University. After a lifetime of publishing achievements, his writing is very clear and understandable (if a bit tedious at times due to the immensity of the content). Inside The Religious History of America, his opinions and biases are seldom, if ever, recognizable. He allows the characters of history to speak for themselves.
Nor does Gaustad seek to brush the embarrassments of history under the rug of time. He expresses the victories of various sects while simultaneously sharing their downfalls and defeats. From the Anglicans who sought to aid in building order but fought religious freedom, to the pacifist Shakers who all but died out due to celibacy, to the Baptists whose evangelistic efforts shook the nation but whose historical mindset towards slavery leaves a noticeable stain, Gaustad is balanced in his representation of religious groups.
Gaustad covers the breadth of popular (and unpopular) religions in the New World throughout the book. Though Protestantism is covered more thoroughly than any other religion, this is only because of its place at the top of the hierarchy in American religious popularity. Gaustad does not neglect Indigenous Animism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, or Judaism. He covers these (and more) as they relate to America quite thoroughly in his 464 pages.
The book is broken into four parts: Religion in the Colonial Era, Religious Ferment from the Revolution to the Civil War, Modern Prospects from Cityscapes to Bible Battles, and Religious Transformation from World War II to the New Millennium. A very helpful suggested reading list with thorough annotations concludes each section.
Gaustad tracks the religious history of America chronologically, not by religion or denomination. This chronological style leads to an insightful bird’s eye view of America’s religious history and makes it an invaluable tool for the researcher who has questions about the spiritual climate of any one period. This bird’s eye view also illuminates how seemingly disconnected religious events hundreds of years ago impact present-day society and culture in America. Every piece of American history seems connected to every other piece in brilliant—and sometimes shocking—ways.
The first section of The Religious History of America summarizes the spiritual beginnings of the New World. Gaustad begins by explaining that the religious history of America is not tied to one tradition but multiple religions and denominations. Gaustad focuses this first section on tracing each of these religions and sects. He even briefly covers the beliefs of the Indigenous people, though to cover the entire tradition of this scattered and diverse people would deserve a volume of its own.
The theme of the first section is religious settlement. What were the philosophies behind the founding of the individual colonies? Puritan, Anglican, Quaker, and Catholic settlements are all discussed. These settlements led to colonies, each stamped with a specific denomination. Religious liberty, which caused much immigration to the New World, was ironically limited in many of these colonies, though others allowed for significantly more freedom, for example, in Quaker Pennsylvania.
The second section covers the period from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War. The founding of America was inherently religious. Most of the founding fathers were deeply influenced by both orthodox Christianity and the humanistic enlightenment. This syncretism of philosophies led to a humanistic deism in many of the founding fathers. God exists, but revelation is subjective, and God is often distant from His creation. Deism was a heavy influence on the separation of church and state. Gaustad gives particular attention to Thomas Jefferson, whose writings provide exceptional care to cover his philosophy on religious liberty and the separation of church and state. These two principles led to voluntarism by the American religions that outrivaled the forced religious rites of previous history.
The first section covers the Great Awakening; the second covers the Second Great Awakening. Both revivalist movements affected many social aspects of the young nation. Many of these effects are still felt in church culture today. Gaustad writes how these movements affected the country, and not just the poor and uneducated but also the higher classes. The Second Great Awakening became an enormous influence on western expansion. With their weeklong activities and forceful preaching, its camp meetings were times of community, repentance, and spiritual renewal.
The church was heavily affected by the Civil War. Slavery and its moral ills divided not only a nation but also her various denominations. Abolitionists actively and intellectually fought slavery, while slaveholders and supporters pragmatically supported it. Notably, the Baptists split north and south during this period over the rights of slaveholders.
The third section covers the years between the Civil War and World War II. During this time, the now-adolescent country began to grow and burst forth with immigration. Due to the overwhelming growth and lack of promised opportunity, cities became crowded and poor. Christian voluntarism grew to unprecedented levels, not just in these impoverished cities but across the world. International missionary work came to its highest level in American history.
Towards the end of this period, Christianity began to see multiple schisms on the so-called dividing line of faith and reason. Numerous groups were split based on Darwinism, higher criticism, and liberalism introduced into the church. Almost all groups in America were affected by this new form of scholarship sans the Eastern Orthodox and its various groups, which were held together by familial and national identities.
To combat this movement, preachers like T. DeWitt Talmage and Billy Sunday began fighting evolution while scholars like J. Gresham Machen battled liberalism. A written standard was set with the advent of fundamentalism. With its five fundamentals, conservative Christians now had a simple formula to vet the theology of other Christians against the literal claims of Scripture.
The fourth section covers the period between WWII and the new millennium. Here, the old tenet of separation of church and state was tested with the education of students. By this point in history, children's education was mainly under the state's authority. Therefore, should schools teach religion? Should they not teach the science of the day, evolution?
One such incident brought this battle to the forefront. The misstep by fundamentalists in the Scopes Trial would set the course for education for the next century. While the fundamentalists won the trial, it was at a significant cultural loss due to the prosecutor’s poor handling of the case.
Regardless, during this century, the churches in America grew to their largest sizes, with preachers like Billy Graham taking the forefront. His meetings harkened back to the Second Great Awakening camp meetings, and he brought in thousands to partake of his electric Gospel of repentance.
Activism was on the rise. During this period, the civil rights movement began and brought segregation to its knees. Unfortunately, some Christians were still divided over this moral evil. Not only was the civil rights movement on the rise, but more contested views like gay rights were fought over. It is not hard to see where many of the current societal debates stem from in today's world.
The Religious History of America is thorough. No, it does not cover every issue, nor is that necessarily what the author intended. The book is already large and filled with many of the events and philosophies that characterize the spiritual history of America. Gaustad’s work is balanced. Students of history will find in it an excellent resource for research. It is a volume everyone interested in American religious history should own.
December 10, 2019
I read about 2/3 of this book (up until when it started to get into the 20th century), then decided that since it'd been sitting beside my bed for about two months without me picking it up, it was time to drop it, as it were.
Overall, it was an excellent overview of the history of different religious groups in the U.S. The authors did not limit it to Christian religious groups, but included all immigrant religions. The beginning of the book even contained an attempt to cover Native American religions. I felt like it was a little weak on that, but then again, the religions of Native American tribes are diverse enough that they probably can't be covered adequately in a large-scale overview.
Reading up through the 20th century was enough to satisfy my curiosity because I was mostly interested in the origins of modern-day Protestant denominations and how they originally diverged from one another. I realized that to really delve into that I would have to go back further than the U.S., but this was still able to give me a good idea of how things developed in this country.
It was eye-opening for me to see how anti-Catholic sentiment in the U.S. was often rooted in racism and xenophobia. There are reasons why I wouldn't want to become a Catholic today, but in some ways it gave me greater sympathy for Catholics and a better understanding of the origins of the prejudice against them that still exists in a lot of American Protestant churches.
There were some interesting groups that I didn't know about before, like the Shakers. I probably didn't know about them because one of the things they believed in was celibacy, so their religion didn't perpetuate itself very well. Fascinating, though.
There were lots of other bits here and there about the beliefs of religious groups, but I guess I had hoped that the book would contain more about the basic theological differences between groups. That was something that I wanted clarified for my own faith journey, but it wasn't something I found in this book.
Instead, though, if you're looking for a genuinely great overview of the who, what, where, when, why, and how of American religious history, look no further. This book can be a bit overwhelming with names of individuals and groups and dense, brief synopses of events, but nonetheless manages to be clearly organized, interesting, and worthwhile.
Overall, it was an excellent overview of the history of different religious groups in the U.S. The authors did not limit it to Christian religious groups, but included all immigrant religions. The beginning of the book even contained an attempt to cover Native American religions. I felt like it was a little weak on that, but then again, the religions of Native American tribes are diverse enough that they probably can't be covered adequately in a large-scale overview.
Reading up through the 20th century was enough to satisfy my curiosity because I was mostly interested in the origins of modern-day Protestant denominations and how they originally diverged from one another. I realized that to really delve into that I would have to go back further than the U.S., but this was still able to give me a good idea of how things developed in this country.
It was eye-opening for me to see how anti-Catholic sentiment in the U.S. was often rooted in racism and xenophobia. There are reasons why I wouldn't want to become a Catholic today, but in some ways it gave me greater sympathy for Catholics and a better understanding of the origins of the prejudice against them that still exists in a lot of American Protestant churches.
There were some interesting groups that I didn't know about before, like the Shakers. I probably didn't know about them because one of the things they believed in was celibacy, so their religion didn't perpetuate itself very well. Fascinating, though.
There were lots of other bits here and there about the beliefs of religious groups, but I guess I had hoped that the book would contain more about the basic theological differences between groups. That was something that I wanted clarified for my own faith journey, but it wasn't something I found in this book.
Instead, though, if you're looking for a genuinely great overview of the who, what, where, when, why, and how of American religious history, look no further. This book can be a bit overwhelming with names of individuals and groups and dense, brief synopses of events, but nonetheless manages to be clearly organized, interesting, and worthwhile.
December 31, 2020
Gaustad and Schmidt weave a gigantic tapestry of stories, heroes, movements, and culture wars, over the whole history of American religious life. A lot of Americans feel their country's history reveals the journey of God's people no less than the history of ancient Israel. And why not? Like that ancient history book, this one captures an epic series of running arguments between revolutionaries, imperialists, feminists, racists, egalitarians, ethnic purists, universalists, legalists, holy rollers or apocalyptic fanatics, all upholding their visions of justice, truth, and beauty. The story Gaustad and Schmidt present meets the literalist criteria of truth, because all those voices really spoke. The book provides a grand overview of the discussion, which helps us choose which voices will shape our lives.
August 26, 2019
This is a really great, comprehensive overview to start with in discovering the richness and diversity of American religious life. Gaustad and Schmidt cover a lot of ground here, and generally do so with an engaging, interesting style that keeps the reader's interest and provides plenty of interesting anecdotes to explore and think about. That being said, later chapters end up grating some in the repetition of the form and structure of earlier chapters, so that the topical discussions end up just being organized around denominational ideas and so each section becomes a concentrated look at one denomination or movement rather than an integrated look at the larger scope of action in a particular era. But these are small issues, one's that any comprehensive, large-scope work like this inevitably runs into. All around this was a lucid, interesting read, and worth exploring for its breadth if not its particular depth in some areas.
March 24, 2025
American Religion — Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?
This book provides a good introduction to the religious history of the United States. One of the main themes of this book is the broadening religious diversity that has characterized American history. I found this book to be pretty even-handed up until about 1960. After 1960, the author’s liberal bias becomes quite evident. Still, this book is worth reading even if one is more conservative, and has good insights for anyone interested in America’s religious history.
This book provides a good introduction to the religious history of the United States. One of the main themes of this book is the broadening religious diversity that has characterized American history. I found this book to be pretty even-handed up until about 1960. After 1960, the author’s liberal bias becomes quite evident. Still, this book is worth reading even if one is more conservative, and has good insights for anyone interested in America’s religious history.
July 7, 2020
I read this book to establish a firm foundation for a personal study of how religion has been intertwined in the development of our country. It did not disappoint. I now understand the periods that typify the relationship between the diverse citizens of our country and the truly revolutionary concept of freedom of religion.
October 4, 2022
Got a lot out of it, and exactly what I was looking for! Not particularly deep though and the post-1900s chapters really focused more on social issues than religious development which seemed a bit odd. Best part imo was the beginning, sorting out how and when various traditions came to which geographic area and how they progressed.
May 5, 2021
This was the required text in my Religion and Society in America class. This text discusses the history of America through a religious lens. Although most of the subject is in relation to Christianity and its denominations, it is still an interesting read.
August 22, 2017
Another must read for knowledge of this country and the development of religion within.
July 21, 2018
Thorough History but got boring in places.
December 30, 2022
read select chapters for class
July 2, 2024
Great overview that touches on a little bit of everything, the suggested readings is a nice touch too
March 21, 2017
A good general history on the history of religion in America. No new groundbreaking revelations but a solid history nonetheless.
September 19, 2015
Very good book that gives a general overview of America's religious history. Beginning from the first European explorers and settlers upon the New World and ending with the great mass of plurality of religious faith and spirituality that makes America distinct from the rest of the world. Shows both the good and bad religion has played on the American landscape. Has a lot of great historical pictures and illustrations as well. This book comes highly recommended for both the casual reader and/or the academic student.
March 31, 2008
This is an excellent well-rounded survey of American religious history. While in no way concise, it wasn't intended to be and is an excellent reference tool. It could use a new edition, but then again, a second volume may be needed just for the last twenty years.
May 29, 2010
A good introduction to the religious history of the United States. Not my area of most interest, so, can't say much more that's particularly inspiring. You won't hate it, and, unless you're a scholar of church history, you probably won't love it.
Read
March 17, 2016Good writing, a broad scope, and a generous use of pictures make this a nice undergrad level textbook on the topic. The book's emphasis is on religious diversity and the perspective is progressive/liberal but not in a way that's overly problematic most of the time.
June 15, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ My textbook for my Religious History of America class. A great pick. It is east to understand and very informative. Would highly recommend annotating, it is easy to get lost in all the information.
April 22, 2009
the best survey of american religious history
Read
May 8, 2010None
March 4, 2010
This is a nice review of the subject, with some unique historical illustrations. Fine scholarship, but there are citations for the many intriguing quotations.
January 21, 2011
I loved this book!!! It was rather extensive, but definitely one of my favorites.
March 14, 2011
Good, comprehensive history.
December 11, 2012
Leans slightly to the liberal side in evaluating the history of religion in America, particularly when it comes to the 20th century. But it's a good overview.
April 14, 2013
good book on history of religion in america, a little dry
July 17, 2018
A solid, balanced, and informative survey of religion in America up to the election of Bush the younger. Well informed and well written with extensive and helpfully-annotated bibliographies.
June 22, 2015
This was a very helpful history of the religious history of America and the impact on culture. This will mostly likely stay on my shelf for a reference.
March 1, 2016
Great survey of America s history in regards to Christianity though he dies jump around a bit on the timeline
Read
August 4, 2011Fantastic book.
May 16, 2014
Good read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews