Theology in America: Christian Thought from the Age of the Puritans to the Civil War

E. Brooks Holifield

Published by Yale University Press 2008

Theology in America

Christian Thought from the Age of the Puritans to the Civil War

E. Brooks Holifield

https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300129731

Overview
Contents

About this book

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.

Author / Editor information

E. Brooks Holifield is Charles Howard Candler Professor of American Church History, Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He is former president of the American Society for Church History and the author of several books on American religious history including Era of Persuasion: American Thought and Culture, 1521†“1680.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	vii
1. Introduction: Theology in America Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part 1. Calvinist Origins
2. The New England Calvinists Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	25
3. Rationalism Resisted Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	56
4. Nature, the Supernatural, and Virtue Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	79
5. Jonathan Edwards Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	102
6. Fragmentation in New England Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	127
Part 2. The Baconian Style
7. The Deists Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	159
8. Evidential Christianity Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	173
9. Unitarian Virtue Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	197
10. Universal Salvation Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	218
11. Episcopal Theology and Tradition Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	234
12. Methodist Perfection Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	256
13. The Baptists and Calvinist Diversity Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	273
14. Restoration Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	291
15. Roots of Black Theology Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	306
16. The Immediacy of Revelation Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	319
17. Calvinism Revised Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	341
18. ‘‘True Calvinism’’ Defended Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	370
Part 3. Alternatives to Baconian Reason
19. Lutherans: Reason, Revival, and Confession Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	397
20. Catholics: Reason and the Church Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	415
21. The Transcendentalists: Intuition Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	434
22. Horace Bushnell: Christian Comprehensiveness Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	452
23. The Mercersburg Theology: Communal Reason Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	467
24. Orestes Brownson and Isaac Hecker: Transcendental Catholicism Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	482
25. The Dilemma of Slavery Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	494
26 Afterword Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	505
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	513
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	597

Language: English
Publisher: Yale University Press
Pages
- Main content: 640

eBook

Published: October 1, 2008
ISBN: 9780300129731