A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada [Paperback]

Mark A. Noll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1992

From the lively severities of the 17th-century Pilgrims and Puritans to the ebullience of the televanglism age, the Christian experience in North America is rich and varied. Noll covers it all in this superb narrative survey. Tracing the growth of Christian belief and institutions and their interactions with culture in the U.S. and Canada from the colonial period to the present, his approach is broad and comprehensive. Many biographical profiles add a personal dimension to the narrative.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Noll has written a very readable textbook. Though dealing with all denominations, it is centered on the rise and decline of Protestant dominance in the United States. Starting from colonial pluralism, Noll shows how Christianity was Americanized by the "great awakening," the Revolution, and other influences. Evangelical America, he says, began to erode during the Civil War and declined further under the influence of modernism and the social gospel. Examining various trends and leaders, Noll predicts that the 20th century will witness a return to pluralism. Though a little weak on the past 40 years, his book is an excellent overview of American church history. Space is given to minority influences, and hymns are used to show the common worshiper's viewpoint. Especially useful and unique is his section on the church in Canada, which provides great comparison value. Recommended for libraries needing a good, basic history of the American church.
- C. Robert Nixon, MLS, Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (August 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802806511
• ISBN-13: 978-0802806512
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Story of Christian North American History!, June 25, 2004

By 

Michael Taylor "Michael Taylor" (Indian Trail NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada (Paperback)

I was required to read this book for a seminary class and instead of being intimidated or turned off by its over 500 pages, I found the book to be an extremely enjoyable read.

Noll describes the spread of Christianity from the Roman Catholicism of the 1500s to today's pluralism. Particulary enjoyable were the chapters on: the Puritans, The Great Awakenings, Churches in the American Revolution, Evangelical America during the Civil War, Intellectual Challenges to the Christian Faith in the Early 1900s, certain personalities (Billy Graham, Martin Luther King, Fulton Sheen), and the Southern Baptist Convention.

A very interesting read, I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the history of Christianity in America!

Read and enjoy and do not be turned off by the size of the book!

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great college text on North American Christian history, July 25, 2001

By 

Marc Axelrod (Potter, Wi USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada (Paperback)

I think that this is a very thorough, enjoyable journey through the history of Christianity in the US and Canada. He not only focuses on events such as the two American Great Awakenings, but he pauses to discuss some of the more interesting and influential Christians of the times (Anne Hutchinson, Charles Finney, George Whitefield, Francis Asbury, Fulton Sheen, Billy Graham, et al). I highly recommend this book, but it is a long book, so be prepared for many hours of reading.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How religion in America escaped state control, January 13, 2008

By 

Brian Griffith (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada (Paperback)

This excellent, detailed history shows what was new about Christianity in the New World. It portrays the dramatic contrasts between official colonial churches and various refugee sects, with their different visions of how they might relate to each other. Where the first colonies, provinces or states usually had official state churches, Noll documents the issues of church relations on the borders or frontiers between these domains. Into these zones, dissidents of all stripes fled from state-backed religion. And in areas where no religious group had a majority, Noll records how people learned to meet their community needs and get along: "The result was a degree of interdenominational tolerance probably unknown anywhere else in the world at that time". (p. 89) Noll's statement may overlook the religious diversity of India or China, but for the Christian world it applied.

Of course Noll's book holds far more, and is of interest to people of every denomination in Canada and the USA. I was just most impressed by the explanation of how religion in North America escaped state control.

-author of Correcting Jesus