New York Council for the Humanities: Reading Groups: Adult Reading Groups

Religion in American Life

Four sessions devoted to the history of religion in the United States and the central political, social and cultural role it has played in this country. Each conversation centers on a book selected by Loren Broc, a graduate student in the History Department of the University of Rochester.

Due to availability and cost, some titles in this series are often difficult to procure and are not suitable for organizations seeking to provide their own books.

This session focuses on The Democratization of American Christianity by Nathan Hatch, a stirring account of the Second Great Awakening during the early 19th century.

A discussion of George Marsden's book Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism, which traces both the origins and the modern day consequences of the late 19th century split between conservative and liberal Protestants in this country.

The New Age Movement in American Culture by Richard Kyle is the focus of this session, which will explore how alternative religious movements reflect larger cultural trends.

The final session is devoted to Religion and Politics in the United States by Kenneth Wald, a timely investigation of the complex relationship between church and state in America.