The Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States

Kurian (editor, The World Christian Encyclopedia) and Lamport (coeditor, Encyclopedia of Christian Education) have produced a well-written, comprehensive guide detailing the many themes and people in the history of Christianity in the United States. Their aim is "to facilitate greater reflection on our national and personal circumstances in light of our historical awareness; to hospitably engage ideas, cultures, and practices of faith tradition beyond the normal scope of our direct experiences; and to recall the gracious, sovereign mission of God in his Church in the United States." These five volumes of fascinating entries by numerous scholars succeed in inviting readers to browse through and actively participate in that reflection, engagement, and recollection. The entries are organized alphabetically, but indexing by themes, names, and even the author of the articles makes finding and tracing specific threads of history easy. Brief bibliographical references are included for each item as well as an overarching selected bibliography and essay in the final volume. Among the other useful features are an introductory series of essays surveying the overall history of Christianity and its impact on the United States, an appendix detailing U.S. religious trends, and a series of concise essays giving perspectives on the subject from other cultural viewpoints such as Asian, Australian, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Jewish, and even atheist. The vast cultural and religious variety within the United States is well represented here.