"American history has profoundly shaped, and been shaped by, Christianity. This book provides a brisk and lively yet deeply researched survey of these intertwined forces from the colonial period to the present."--

We live in a time of tremendous religious awareness, when both believers and non-believers are deeply engaged by questions of religion and tradition. This ambitious book ranges back to the origins of the Hebrew Bible and covers the world, following the three main strands of the Christian faith, to teach modern readers how Jesus' message spread and how the New Testament was formed. We follow the Christian story to all corners of the globe, filling...

"Witham's highly readable history of the American sermon strongly bolsters the contention that words change minds and alter the course of events." —Booklist
Pivotal moments in U.S. history are indelibly marked by the sermons of the nation's greatest orators. From colonial times to the present, the sermon has motivated Americans to fight wars as well as fight for peace. Sermons have provoked the mob mentality of witch hunts...

Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history's most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor. Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would-be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God. This was the age of zealotry--a fervent nationalism that made resistance...

In 2016, writer and filmmaker Ben Howe found himself disillusioned with the religious movement he'd always called home. In the pursuit of electoral victory, many American evangelicals embraced moral relativism and toxic partisanship. Whatever happened to the Moral Majority, who headed to Washington in the '80s to plant the flag of Christian values? Where were the Christian leaders that emerged from that movement and led the charge against Bill Clinton...

Presents an overview of the causes, principal events, and outcome of the Protestant Reformation.

For over a decade Cassiopeia Vitt has been building an authentic French castle, using only materials and techniques from the 13th century. Then a treasure is unearthed at the construction site-- an ancient Book of Hours. Once the Cathars existed all across southern France, challenging Rome. In 1208, the Pope declared them heretics and ordered a crusade-- the first where Christians killed Christians-- and the Cathars were all but exterminated. With...

In the West, the Crusades are a chapter of Christian history that has little impact on our everyday lives, but in the Middle East many believe that the Crusades are happening again. In the wake of 9/11, ignorance of the brutal reality of the Crusades led President George W. Bush to describe the War on Terror as a 'Crusade'. Rageh believes this invocation of Christian Holy War alienated much of the Muslim world. Bush's comments have never been forgotten...

"In the tradition of Escape and Stolen innocence, the first look behind the curtains of the Westboro Baptist Church, by a young woman cast out from its clutches"--Provided by the publisher. Lauren Drain's childhood seemed average American, but when her liberal-minded father set out to film a documentary about the audacious and cultish hate group, the Westboro Baptist Church, he found himself seduced. At 14, Lauren was moved with her family to Kansas...