David Holland
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199753611
- eISBN:
- 9780199895113
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753611.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
What belongs in the Bible? Could a New World inspire new chapters of scripture or render old ones obsolete? This book shows that these questions factored more prominently into early American history ...
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What belongs in the Bible? Could a New World inspire new chapters of scripture or render old ones obsolete? This book shows that these questions factored more prominently into early American history than we have appreciated. It depicts the boundaries of the biblical canon as a battleground on which a diverse cast of early American characters, from elite theologians to charismatic slave prophets, fought for their versions of divine truth. Puritans, deists, evangelicals, liberals, Shakers, Mormons, Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists and Transcendentalists took distinctive positions on how to define the borders of scripture. This book recreates those canonical borderlands, reconsiders the colorful figures that occupied them, and reflects on their place in the cultural topography of early America. By carefully exploring the history of this scriptural boundary, it provides a new angle of inquiry onto such matters as religious freedom and textual authority, national identity, and historical consciousness. It offers a fuller view of early America and of the Americans—male and female, white and black, enthusiastic and educated—who shaped a new nation.Less
What belongs in the Bible? Could a New World inspire new chapters of scripture or render old ones obsolete? This book shows that these questions factored more prominently into early American history than we have appreciated. It depicts the boundaries of the biblical canon as a battleground on which a diverse cast of early American characters, from elite theologians to charismatic slave prophets, fought for their versions of divine truth. Puritans, deists, evangelicals, liberals, Shakers, Mormons, Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists and Transcendentalists took distinctive positions on how to define the borders of scripture. This book recreates those canonical borderlands, reconsiders the colorful figures that occupied them, and reflects on their place in the cultural topography of early America. By carefully exploring the history of this scriptural boundary, it provides a new angle of inquiry onto such matters as religious freedom and textual authority, national identity, and historical consciousness. It offers a fuller view of early America and of the Americans—male and female, white and black, enthusiastic and educated—who shaped a new nation.
James L. Heft and Jan E. Stets (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197529317
- eISBN:
- 9780197529355
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780197529317.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Born out of the view that social phenomena are best studied through the lens of different disciplinary perspectives, this book brings together leading scholars in the fields of sociology, ...
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Born out of the view that social phenomena are best studied through the lens of different disciplinary perspectives, this book brings together leading scholars in the fields of sociology, developmental psychology, gerontology, political science, history, philosophy, and theology to study the growing number of individuals who no longer affiliate with a religion tradition. The scholars not only explore this phenomenon from their respective academic disciplines, but they also turn to one another’s work to understand better the multifaceted nature of non-affiliation today. The data gathered shows that it is best not to use the common term nones to describe non-affiliates, because many of them still believe, though they may not belong. The scholars explore the complex impact that non-affiliation has on individuals and the wider society and what the future looks like for religion in America. Later in the book, there are insightful perspectives from professionals in the field who address how we might address non-affiliation, particularly among young adults. In general, this book provides a rich and thoughtful analysis of non-affiliation in American society from multiple scholarly perspectives. The increasing upward trend in non-affiliation threatens the vitality and long-term stability of religious institutions. Both the opening and closing pages of the book remind the reader that at the heart of religious affiliation is commitment and community, which may be the essence of maintaining these religious institutions.Less
Born out of the view that social phenomena are best studied through the lens of different disciplinary perspectives, this book brings together leading scholars in the fields of sociology, developmental psychology, gerontology, political science, history, philosophy, and theology to study the growing number of individuals who no longer affiliate with a religion tradition. The scholars not only explore this phenomenon from their respective academic disciplines, but they also turn to one another’s work to understand better the multifaceted nature of non-affiliation today. The data gathered shows that it is best not to use the common term nones to describe non-affiliates, because many of them still believe, though they may not belong. The scholars explore the complex impact that non-affiliation has on individuals and the wider society and what the future looks like for religion in America. Later in the book, there are insightful perspectives from professionals in the field who address how we might address non-affiliation, particularly among young adults. In general, this book provides a rich and thoughtful analysis of non-affiliation in American society from multiple scholarly perspectives. The increasing upward trend in non-affiliation threatens the vitality and long-term stability of religious institutions. Both the opening and closing pages of the book remind the reader that at the heart of religious affiliation is commitment and community, which may be the essence of maintaining these religious institutions.