Turning Points in American Church History
- World Religions
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Baker Academic (Baker Publishing Group)
- Published: 2024
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Publisher's Description
Christianity Today 2025 Book Award Finalist (History/Biography)"An excellent resource for those eager to learn more about the evolution of American Christianity."--Publishers Weekly"Well-informed and highly readable."--Christianity Today (5-star review)American history has profoundly shaped, and been shaped by, Christianity. This engaging introduction provides a brisk and lively yet deeply researched survey of these intertwined forces from the colonial period to the present. Elesha Coffman tells the story of Christianity in the United States by focusing on 13 key events over four centuries of history. The turning points are as varied as the movements they track, including a naval battle, a revival, a schism, a court case, an outpouring of the Spirit, an act of terrorism, the election of a bishop, and the election of a president. Coffman highlights women and men from a range of traditions and shows how, throughout these events, Christians endeavored to discern what it meant to live faithfully in the diverse and rapidly changing place that became the United States. This book helps readers understand their own faith and the landscape of American religion. Each chapter includes a hymn, a prayer, relevant historical images, excerpts from primary sources, and resources for further reading. Foreword by Mark A. Noll.
Endorsements (7)
“Believe it or not, church history is essential for understanding the origins of the United States and the development of our national culture. Elesha Coffman selects a few well-chosen events from the past five hundred years, each one yielding vivid insights and revealing just how often the church lies at the center of American society. This surprisingly comprehensive series of historical highlights demonstrates the numerous yet profound and often unseen connections between religion, race, gender, and politics. A reliable guide and handy resource, Turning Points in American Church History is not to be missed.”
“More than a dozen academic surveys of American church history grace the field, and each displays distinctive strengths. Yet Coffman’s volume offers the strongest overall combination of focus, clarity, research, conciseness, and wit (yes, wit). I would assign this work before any of the others to virtually any seminary, university, or Christian formation class. It is a truly brilliant contribution.”
“If you are looking for a captivating introduction to the story of American Christianity, you would do well to start here. This sweeping, swiftly paced book brims with insights and is guaranteed to leave readers with much to ponder and debate. Coffman not only brings church history to life but also underscores its undeniable, ongoing centrality to United States history writ large.”
“This is a gem of a book. Masterfully conceived and executed, Turning Points in American Church History is smart, lively, and highly instructive. With expert command of the scholarly literature and the voice and heart of a teacher, Elesha Coffman brilliantly distills nearly five centuries of Christian history into thirteen vibrant episodes. Christians and non-Christians, scholars and novices, college and seminary students, church groups and armchair readers will all find the book illuminating, accessible, and engaging. A rare feat.”
“Colonialism, race, religious freedom. Coffman reminds us how much of American history is bound up with the history of Christianity. After reading this accessible work, Christian readers in America will better understand their own story, and those outside the faith and outside the nation may get a better idea of what all the fuss is about when it comes to American Christianity.”
“Elesha Coffman’s smart, carefully constructed, and richly informative book shows us the power of a really good question, a gift more valuable than a library full of answers. She has issued the best invitation possible, asking us to think, consider, and then keep on asking good questions about what she aptly calls the ‘lumpy and angular’ story of American Christianity in all its diversity and depth.”
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