Religion in American Life: A Short History
Yet another history of religion in America? And with all the  flaws of previous histories? Religion in this book essentially  means Protestant Christianity, with a few side glances at  Judaism, Catholicism, Native American religion, Islam, and Asian  religions. America generally means the United States, except in  the Colonial period, when a few references are made to New  France in the north and New Spain in the south. In this short  history by Butler (Religion in Colonial America), Grant Wacker  (Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture), and  Randall Balmer (Religion in 20th-Century America), the reader  receives a large catalog of data and events that are difficult  to place in any pattern of development or interpretation. The  authors seem unable to provide an outline of trends or changes  that supply a context for understanding this complex history.  The classic work is still Sidney Ahlstrom's A Religious History  of the American People; to set this story in true pluralistic  context, Ahlstrom's book should be read alongside Diana L. Eck's  recent and highly regarded A New Religious America. The reader  would be better served by these two books than this new one. Not  recommended.James A. Overbeck, Atlanta-Fulton P.L., GACopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.