The Work We Have to Do: A History of Protestants in America (Religion in American Life) [Paperback]

Mark A. Noll (Author)

Book Description

Series: Religion in American Life

A readable, far-reaching history of a multi-denominational, multi-regional, and multi-ethnic religious group, Protestants in America explores the physical and ideological roots of the denomination up to the present day, and traces the origins of American Protestants all the way back to the first English colony at Jamestown. The book covers their involvement in critical issues from temperance to the civil rights movement, the establishment of Protestant organizations like the American Bible Society and the Salvation Army, and the significant expansion of their ethnic base since the first African-American Protestant churches were built in the 1770s. Mark Noll follows their direct impact on American history--from the American Revolution to World War I and beyond--and peppers his account with profiles of leading Protestants, from Jonathan Edwards and Phillis Wheatley to Billy Graham and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Oxford's Religion in American Life series brought together top-flight scholars in various disciplines to write short, visually interesting, and well-researched books for the YA market. But why hide one's light under a bushel? Recently, Oxford has been repackaging these same books as grown-up paperbacks, moving the illustrations to an eight-page tip-in and bringing the price below $10. Wheaton College historian Mark Noll offers the latest installment in this Religion in America series, entitled The Work We Have to Do: A History of Protestants in America. This huge topic is covered deftly by Noll, who begins with introductory chapters on who Protestants are and where they come from and then traces their fragmented history through four centuries and dozens of denominations. To aid on this score, Noll includes a very helpful appendix that groups the various Protestant denominations into historical families.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Mark Noll's excellent book, The Work We Have to Do, explores the rich history of Protestants and their influence in nearly every aspect of American life....An honest assessment....The chapter on Modern America is particularly compelling for the light it casts on the incredible diversity of practices and beliefs among Protestants today. This book is perfect for those without much prior knowledge of the subject and for pastors wishing for a quick refresher in this chapter of church history." --Pastor Charles Trittin, All Saints Lutheran Church, Eagan, MN, Libraries Alive!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195154975
• ISBN-13: 978-0195154979
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #735,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun, Fascinating Read, November 22, 2003

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benjamin (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Work We Have to Do: A History of Protestants in America (Religion in American Life) (Paperback)

This was a fun, fascinating little book to read. Although it may be short, this little book whets the appetite and leaves the reader wanting more. Mark Noll is one of the most well-known and well-respected scholars of Evangelicalism in the United States and handles his little project here quite well.

Noll breaks up the book into time periods, beginning with a bit about the Protestant Reformation before continuing with pre-1776 American Protestantism; he discusses the Civil War, the rise of so-called Fundamentalism, and ends with discussing secularization and other recent developments. The book is easy reading - one can read it in a few hours - and well worth taking the time to do so, especially in light of the continued presence of religion in American public life.

What I found most fascinating in this book was how American Protestantism groups so quickly divided into more groups because of a lack of government involvement. Whereas in Europe different churches came to be allied with the government of their region, this did not happen in the United States. Instead, a type of individualistic turn took place when Protestantism/s reached America's shores: if you didn't like how your church did it, you simply went off and started another one. Hence, in America there are tens of thousands of Protestant denominations that never existed in Europe.

If you have read Noll's work _The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind_, you will hear echoes of it in his analysis of what exactly Evangelicalism is (and, for that matter, isn't). He writes that Evangelicals have, for most of their history, been fairly skeptical of higher education and taking a more thoughtful approach to the faith; a type of American pragmatism exists within American Evangelicalism. Yet, Noll is also sympathetic (he himself is an Evangelical) and desires to correct various misperceptions about Evangelicalism that are widespread in the larger culture. Noll's corrective lenses are both helpful and informative.

Although it is short, I think this book is a really fantastic introduction into a subject with widespread influence: religious, cultural and political. For those that are interested, Noll includes a fairly substantial bibliography in the back of the book with a number of recommendations for futher reading. And, given the 60% discount that Amazon.com is currently offering, this is probably the most informative $5.00 that you can spend right now.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faith in a New Land, December 7, 2006

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Labarum (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Work We Have to Do: A History of Protestants in America (Religion in American Life) (Paperback)

Given the rapidly changing cultural climate, it can be surprising to learn of the dominant position that conservative Protestantism held within the culture a century ago. By dominance I do not mean merely a position of influence within a political party as the "religious right" holds within the GOP today but the acceptance by Americans in general of the faith and morals embodied within Protestantism as foundational principles upon which to base their culture.

In The Work We Have to Do, historian Mark A. Noll recounts the role of Protestantism in shaping American society. Beginning with the migration of Protestant dissidents and later those sympathetic to the established Church of England, Noll does a marvelous job describing how various Protestant groups gained a foothold in the American colonies and their influence on the fledgling republic. Noll gives a vivid account of how the Protestant ethos became so inculturated within the nation that it might seem the line between being an American and being a Protestant became blurred.

Noll then turns to the period of Protestant dominance of the culture in the 19th century. A general optimism abounded and there was a sense that America was destined to play a central role in bringing the Christian faith and Christian culture to the world. This manifested itself in both missionary work and the involvement in voluntary societies designed to create a society in line with Christian truth. He then covers a period of successive trials as the Protestant consensus is threatened by immigration from Catholic Europe and the beginnings of modernist revisions to the Protestant view. This period is one of an interplay between struggles with new ideas and movements of great renewal

Noll then painst a picture of how Protestantism has faired in modern America. The picture is by no means monolithic as civil rights activists, foes of abortion, supporters of Israel, and advocates of traditional Christian morals all have a place. Protestantism, like America itself, has become more fragmented with liberal revisionists and conservsative evangelicals vying for supremacy.

Yet whatever the future holds both for America and Protestantism, it cannot be denied that this nation was for much of its life essentially Protestant. In giving a lively account of the hold Protestantism held on this nation and the residual influence it still exerts, Noll has shown how Christianity was at the very soul of America. For anyone interested in the history of American culture or the history of Christianity in America, The Work We Have to Do is essential reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Short Sweep of American Prostestants, January 7, 2003

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rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Work We Have to Do: A History of Protestants in America (Religion in American Life) (Paperback)

How does one cover the history of Prostestants in America in but 133 pages?

Read how Noll pulls this off admirably in this fine text. He sweeps through using main emphases and figures that moved the history along.

His focus is fair from this reviewer's perspective, treating all areas with enthusiasm and interest as they play out their role in this unfolding history.

This is done in four main timeframes: 1607-1789, 1790-1865, 1866-1918, and 1918-. To supplement this there is an chronology, as well as bibiliography with reading suggestions.

Well done! A great resource to start one out on this topic.