American Religious History

By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt

Have you ever wondered why America, unlike virtually any other industrial nation, continues to show so much religious vitality? Or why are the varieties of religion found in the United States are so numerous and diverse? In this vigorous series of 24 lectures, Professor Allitt argues that the best way to look for explanations of this truly remarkable vitality and diversity is to study the nation's religious history.

That's a task, though, that involves more than simply examining religion from the directions you might expect, including its formal beliefs, its ideas, its communal or institutional loyalties, and its styles of worship. It also requires looking at religion's influence on life "beyond the pews" - investigating the subtle but important links that have long brought religion into close contact with the intellectual, social, economic, and political concerns of Americans, such as Martin Luther King Jr. using a mixture of biblical references and appeals to patriotism to press the case for civil rights.

The lectures also address American religion as a sensory experience - a phenomenon whose deep spiritual and social meanings can in part be seen in the design of churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples; heard in the sounds of hymns, prayers, and chants; smelled in Catholic or Buddhist incense, or even tasted, as you discover when you learn why the casserole may be the most "Protestant" of all dishes!

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2001 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2001 The Great Courses

a necessarily superficial treatment

a necessarily superficial treatment of the subject matter, given its depth, but a good job

Fascinating

I was surprised how this course held my attention from beginning to end. The title sounded like it might be boring to me. The professor is extremely well informed and I truly enjoyed his presentation. He made it seem like a story unfolding, which it is, though my high school and college history teachers failed me in that way. I was grateful that this professor explained his English accent in the beginning-that only added to the meaning of the course for me.
I had never thought about how much religion impacted American history-or how much American history impacted religion. This course has added to my understanding of religion’s impact on current events in the United States (where I have lived all of my life) although that wasn’t actually included in the lectures.
I plan to listen to more books by this professor.
The included PDF is a wonderfully comprehensive resource. I especially appreciated the timeline, bibliography and recommended reading in the appendix.

judeo-christian history of the United States.

very interesting and broad overview of United States religious history. anything outside of the judeo-christian traditions is barely mentioned. another noteworthy criticism that does not necessarily detract from the value is that the lecturers own biases 10 to shine through and obvious ways from time to time. otherwise an informative and entertaining lecture.

Pleasantly surprised

An English narrator discussing American religion was interesting, but an outside view is always a welcome change. He was very unbiased, objective, and made sure to stick to the facts. Despite being a religious man himself, the narrator presented this as a secular examination of how all religions shaped America throughout the years. Only once did he share a personal perspective and it was specifically stated it was his perspective.

Unexpectedly Good

I went in because I think the subject matter is interesting, but expected the standard takes from the narrator. Either the course would be out to show how horrible religion (specifically monotheism) is evil, or it would be trying to show how wonderful religion is. Amazingly the narrator took a scholarly view of religion that doesn't just shit on religion while also maintaining an academic distance. It's almost like he was actually trying to be objective. How radical.
Certainly one of the better Great Courses I've listened to.