The Search for Christian America [Paperback]

Mark A. Noll (Author), Nathan O. Hatch (Author), George M. Marsden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1989

"The Search for Christian America" explores key questions raised by the movement asserting the Christian heritage of the U.S. and calling for its recovery. Through careful historical and contemporary analysis, the authors address such issues as: how much Christian action is required to make a whole society Christian; Puritan New England as case study; Christian principles vs. baptised ideology in the Revolutionary period; the stumbling block of incorrect views of America's history for effective Christian involvement in critical public issues; the relationship of Christian convictions to political or social agendas; learning to think historically as a guard against shortsighted or simplistic approaches. Ample footnotes and a bibliographical essay make this volume a helpful reference tool for further study of the Christian nation debate and related issues. Mark A. Noll is Professor of History at Wheaton College. George M. Marsden is Professor of the History at University of Notre Dame. Nathan O. Hatch is President of Wake Forest University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Helmers & Howard Publishers; Expanded edition (June 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939443155
• ISBN-13: 978-0939443154
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #731,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unusual and Effective Polemic, February 25, 2005

By 

R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Search for Christian America (Paperback)

This very interesting book is aimed at evangelical Christians but can be read profitably by individuals of any faith, including those who lack religous faith. The 3 authors are all distinguished historians of American religion and also committed evangelical Christians. The goal of this polemic is to rebut ideas popular among evangelicals that the USA was founded as "Christian Nation," that our founding documents are extensions of biblical scripture, and that there has been a recent falling away of the USA from its Christian past. While this book was written approximately 20 years ago, these ideas continue to be popular. As conservative evangelicals have assumed a larger role in political life, there are increasing attempts to move these ideas out of the conservative evangelical Christian community. Some of the proponents of these ideas quoted in this book, like Tim LaHaye and Jerry Falwell, will be familiar from their contemporary roles in political life. Others, like James Dobson, have attained prominence more recently, but espouse doctrines essentially identical to the ones discussed in Search for Christian America.
Noll, Hatch, and Marsden base their critique on two planks. One is simply that the "Christian Nation" version of American history, particularly the early history of the republic, is wrong. Reflecting a large volume of outstanding scholarship, including some produced by the authors, Noll, Hatch, and Marsden, emphasize the relatively modest role that explicitly Christian thought had in the founding of the republic. Indeed, as they point out, some of the most explicitly Christian features of the Revolutionary period, such as Protestant anti-Catholic bigotry, are some of the least attractive features of this period of American life.
The second plank of this critique is theological in nature. The authors produce a cogent set of warnings about indiscriminate entangling of Christianity with nationalism and uncritical patriotism. They argue well that such entanglements can be detrimental to correct Christian action. As they stress, this criticism is hardly novel, indeed, some of the argument is based on the writings of notable American Protestant leaders like Roger Williams, Isaac Backus, Jonathan Edwards,and Samuel Hopkins. Noll, Hatch, and Marsden are not arguing that evangelical Christians should withdraw from public life or that religously motivated concerns are illegitimate in public life. Quite the opposite, but they stress that such action should be based on truthful understanding of American history and rigorous theological thinking.
This short book is written clearly, referenced well, and is backed by the impressive knowledge of the authors. Its a pity its not read more widely.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost as timely now as it was then, March 16, 2005

By 

James V. Holton "The Ecclectic Professor" (Lakeland, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Search for Christian America (Paperback)

This book is a necessary edition for the Christian seeking a balanced, objective view of American history. The authors firmly establish Christianity's influence in the past without sentimentalizing or idolizing it, yet pay due (and accurate) respect to where Christianity and Christians have influenced history and may continue to influence American society.

The book has held up well since its initial 1980s publication, but recent events cry out for an updated edition.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For every American Christian, and every Christian American:, October 21, 2001

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Jedidiah Palosaari "Not My Real Name" (Fes, Morocco) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Search for Christian America (Paperback)

A fascinating look at the truly history of Christianity and the American state. The authors present a very well-researched treatise on how our nation has never been a Christian nation- both because such a nation is impossible, and because we have never been truly a Christian people. But the authors don't present there case too extremely- they strongly promote and welcome the idea of America having been influenced substantially by Christians and Christian thinking. Of particular interest was the chapter on the American Rebellion and Revolution, in which they point out only four of the founding fathers- John Jay, John Witherspoon, Roger Sherman, and Patrick Henry- were what we would consider evangelical today, and even they were not putting Christ first in their theology at all times. The vast majority of the rest were of course Deist.

Though these ideas may seem radical to some readers, Noll et.al. presents a great deal of evidence to back up the work, including references to more scholarly work on the their part and a very helpful and informative bibliographic essay at the end. The text is designed for the general public, so is not cluttered with difficult theological or political concepts, or copious notes.

After reading this, I found I could not consider myself "proud to be an American". Not that America is evil. Noll et.al. show clearly that there is a bit of God and a bit of satan in American history and culture, as there is in every society. But the clear presentation of how far America has been from the ideals of the gospel, and how often this gets covered up, was astounding. I am proud of the good parts- the God parts. But, if I once could, I can not now look at the history any longer and see it as something specially greater than that of other histories and other nations.