Theology in America : Christian thought from the age of the Puritans to the Civil War / E. Brooks Holifield.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Holifield, E. Brooks.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Theology, Doctrinal--United States--History.

Theology, Doctrinal.

Christianity--United States.

Christianity.

United States--Religion.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (630 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven, Conn. ; London : Yale University Press, [2005?]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book, the most comprehensive survey of early American Christian theology ever written, encompasses scores of American theological traditions, schools of thought, and thinkers. E. Brooks Holifield examines mainstream Protestant and Catholic traditions as well as those of more marginal groups. He looks closely at the intricacies of American theology from 1636 to 1865 and considers the social and institutional settings for religious thought during this period. The book explores a range of themes, including the strand of Christian thought that sought to demonstrate the reasonableness of Christianity, the place of American theology within the larger European setting, the social location of theology in early America, and the special importance of the Calvinist traditions in the development of American theology. Broad in scope and deep in its insights, this magisterial book acquaints us with the full chorus of voices that contributed to theological conversation in America's early years.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Preface

1. Introduction: Theology in America

Part 1. Calvinist Origins

2. The New England Calvinists

3. Rationalism Resisted

4. Nature, the Supernatural, and Virtue

5. Jonathan Edwards

6. Fragmentation in New England

Part 2. The Baconian Style

7. The Deists

8. Evidential Christianity

9. Unitarian Virtue

10. Universal Salvation

11. Episcopal Theology and Tradition

12. Methodist Perfection

13. The Baptists and Calvinist Diversity

14. Restoration

15. Roots of Black Theology

16. The Immediacy of Revelation

17. Calvinism Revised

18. ''True Calvinism'' Defended

Part 3. Alternatives to Baconian Reason

19. Lutherans: Reason, Revival, and Confession

20. Catholics: Reason and the Church

21. The Transcendentalists: Intuition

22. Horace Bushnell: Christian Comprehensiveness

23. The Mercersburg Theology: Communal Reason

24. Orestes Brownson and Isaac Hecker: Transcendental Catholicism

25. The Dilemma of Slavery

26 Afterword

Notes

Index

Notes:

Originally published: 2003.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786611730505

9781281730503

1281730505

9780300129731

0300129734

OCLC:

234083902