The American Church

This first reference work of its kind ever published in the United States is a splendid and unique achievement created by hundreds of historians and writers who cooperated to narrate the saga of American Catholicism. Beginning with Columbus, this comprehensive work spans half a millennium and covers the men, women, and events that shaped Catholic life in a vast and diverse nation. Over1,200 articles, 300 photographs, and a million words comprise this elegant volume, which provides American Catholics with a panoramic and extraordinary education in their identity and heritage. Edited by Michael Glazier and Thomas J. Shelley, "The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History" recounts the struggles and status of American Catholics in every generation of the nation's history. It also narrates and charts the phenomenal growth of the Church in each of the fifty states. It contains hundreds of factual biographies of men and women from al stratas of society. It focuses on the explorers; the pioneering Spanish, French, and English missionaries; the struggles of the colonial and revolutionary era; the turbulent and transforming nineteenth century with its waves of immigrants; the industrial revolution; and the challenges and crises of this century, down to our day. al the major events and movements which united or divided Catholics are covered: The Revolution, Lay Trusteeism, slavery and the Civil War, the arrival of immigrants, Nativism and bigotry, Americanism, Modernism, the Labor Movement, the Knights of Columbus, wars, anti-semitism, the New Deal and Prohibition, anti- Communism, McCarthyism, the Women's Revolution, civil rights, Vietnam, "Human vitae," liturgy, and capital punishment. Other subjects, which were often neglected by past historians, are given greater consideration. These include the role of women and Native Americans and the growth of Catholicism in the United States. The great personalities men and women from each decade and era are perceptively portrayed, and rewarding attention is given to the women lay and religious who played a major role in educating and forming the Catholic children of America for over five generations. Entries are arranged alphabetically for convenient use by those who preach, teach, or study. The primary aim of each entry, whether it reflects some original research or summarizes existing scholarship, is to provide basic information while its bibliographical citations open the road to further study. The American Catholic Church has been the home to a vast variety of people. The notable men and women who appear in these pages represent countless millions who are little known. But American Catholicism today is the living monument to their lives and labors. Knowing their history gives today's Americans confidence, and "The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History" is a celebration of their faith. The contributors to this work have been selected for their scholarship and competence. Among the hundreds of distinguished contributors are: James Hennesey, Kathleen Neils Colzen, Mary Oates, Karen Kennelly, James Pula, Philip Gleason, Steven Avella, Dominic Monti, Jaime Vidal, Kenneth Baker, Sandra Yokum Mize, David O'Brien, Thomas Spalding, Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, Gerald Fogerty, Clyde Crews, Christopher Kauffman, Robert Trisco, Patrick Carey, and Mary Elizabeth Brown. "Over four decades ago, Michael Glazier began his publishing career in Ireland. After coming to America he studied the focal aspects of U.S. publishing, from book design to marketing and eventually became a consultant to a group of American and European publishers. In 1972 he founded Scholarly Resources Inc., which specializes in diplomatic, legal and congressional history. He initiated and directed the publication of standard reference works including the 150-volume "British Parliamentary Papers of the Eighteenth Century." In 1977 he founded Michael Glazier Inc. which published both scholarly religious and secular title

From the Founding Fathers through the present, Christianity has exercised powerful influence in the United States--from its role in shaping politics and social institutions to its hand in inspiring art and culture. The Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States outlines the myriad roles Christianity has played and continues to play. This masterful five-volume reference work includes biographies of major figures in the Christian church in the United States, influential religious documents and Supreme Court decisions, and information on theology and theologians, denominations, faith-based organizations, immigration, art--from decorative arts and film to music and literature--evangelism and crusades, the significant role of women, racial issues, civil religion, and more. The first volume opens with introductory essays that provide snapshots of Christianity in the U.S. from pre-colonial times to the present, as well as a statistical profile and a timeline of key dates and events. Entries are organized from A to Z. The final volume closes with essays exploring impressions of Christianity in the United States from other faiths and other parts of the world, as well as a select yet comprehensive bibliography. Appendices help readers locate entries by thematic section and author, and a comprehensive index further aids navigation.

Leading scholars present entries on selected controversies and controversial individuals in American religious life from the colonial period to the present. Key figures, themes, terms, institutions and groups, books, and relevant secular topics that have contributed to religious controversy are included. This ambitious volume includes bibliographies for each entry which direct the reader to additional resources for further study. From Ralph David Abernathy to Zionism, this work will prove to be an essential reference tool for scholars, students, and anyone interested in religious issues. Controversy has been interwoven with religion throughout history. In an attempt to bring a sense of understanding to the causes and types of conflicts in American religious history, top scholars from different religious traditions have selected the key events and people that have shaped our religious heritage. With more than 1,700 religious bodies in the United States, the potential for conflicts and controversy is enormous. This work is the first attempt to being all of these elements together in one easy-to-use reference.

In two editions over 40 years, Edwin Gaustad's Atlas of American Religion has been an essential guide to the American religious experience. Now the New Historical Atlas of Religion in America takes the story into the new millennium. Expanded, reorganized, and now in full color, the new edition of this classic reference work is an arresting visual and narrative portrait of the growth, development, and diversity of America's communities of faith across nearly 400 years. Here is a vastly more complex American religious life--from the decline of mainstream Protestantism to the emergence of evangelical churches and the growing influence of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other faiths. Parts One and Two are a history--in maps and text--of American religions. Part Three focuses in-depth on Lutherans, Mormons, and Roman Catholics. Part Four examines the political, cultural, and social aspects of religion in American public life. Lavishly illustrated with full-color maps, charts, and diagrams, the new Atlas is an essential resource for all readers--students, teachers, scholars, and everyone seeking to understand the remarkable religious history of the United States.

Early Americans have long been considered "A People of the Book" Because the nickname was coined primarily to invoke close associations between Americans and the Bible, it is easy to overlook the central fact that it was a book-not a geographic location, a monarch, or even a shared language-that has served as a cornerstone in countless investigations into the formation and fragmentation of early American culture. Few books can lay claim to such powers of civilization-altering influence. Among those which can are sacred books, and for Americans principal among such books stands the Bible. This Handbook is designed to address a noticeable void in resources focused on analyzing the Bible in America in various historical moments and in relationship to specific institutions and cultural expressions. It takes seriously the fact that the Bible is both a physical object that has exercised considerable totemic power, as well as a text with a powerful intellectual design that has inspired everything from national religious and educational practices to a wide spectrum of artistic endeavors to our nation's politics and foreign policy. This Handbook brings together a number of established scholars, as well as younger scholars on the rise, to provide a scholarly overview--rich with bibliographic resources--to those interested in the Bible's role in American cultural formation.