This book examines the persistence of religious belief in an America that has become increasingly secular. A series of essays addresses specific aspects of the interaction between the sacred and the secular in modern U.S. history and offers a unique perspective on how the two have transformed each other as well as the nature of American religious culture. By bringing these varied articles together, the editors have provided a new framework for interpreting our culture from a religious perspective.
What makes this book unique is the broad-ranging nature of its examination of religion and culture. The essays cover such diverse topics as religion and popular culture, ethnicity and race, religion and women, religion and medicine, and the endurance of evangelical traditions, while also placing American religion in a larger, historical framework. A brief introduction discusses the difficult task of understanding religious expression in modern American culture. Touching on so many different subjects, the book is relevant to both historians and a general public interested in American religious culture. It will be a vital addition to academic and public libraries and valuable for courses in American and religious history, sociology, and political science.