Thesis: This is a book written by the collaboration of three authors expertise in their respective fields. Though this book is a very good informative source discussing various aspects of religion on the American culture starting from the brief history of religion in America and relating the impact of religion on the social, political and cultural impact of the American society. This book also offers a comparison of all these religions to each other. At the same time the book also contains the contemporary social, political and economic trends with a modernized world approach in relation to the brief history of religious culture in America. In short, the purpose of the book is to enlighten the fact of religion in the youth while describing the history of religion in America

INTRODUCTION:

America is basically a state with a vast cultural diversity. Where the people of America originally belong to the number of countries that joined to America after earning independence from British colonies. At the same time, there are various ethnic and religious minorities in America that either migrated to America in search of better life or were forcefully immigrated by making slaves. For instance, the African Americans and the various minorities those come to America from all over the world to achieve better education and employment opportunities. Therefore, America is a state that consists of a large number of cultural, ethnic and religious diversities.

However, the book “Religion in American life” is purely a revelation of different events relating to the role of religion in American history and culture. Basically this book is written by three co authors namely John Butler, who is also a professor for religious affairs at Yale university, U.S.A., Grant Wacker and Randal Balmer. The most interesting aspect of this book is the variety of opinion presented by each of these authors, with significance and due logics. Therefore, the reader is enlightened by the different viewpoints of these three authors while describing the different aspects of religion in American society. Therefore, this book contains knowledge regarding different religions that were present in the past as well as are currently a part of the American society. At the same time, we also find information about the religious struggles to achieve dominance on each other in the different times of history. However, we also find the transition of these various religious cultures from traditional phases to modernization with transparent changing behaviors and culture.

Therefore, in this state of multicultural diversity people belong to the different part of the world and have different religions and culture and are also influenced by different socio-economic circumstances. So this book seems to be another history of religion in America. However, authors tried to show religions in this book as for all intents and purposes since, Protestant, Christianity, Native American religion, Islam and Asian religion are discussed in this book. At the same time, all these are compared to each other. In this short history by Butler (Religion in Colonial America), Grant Wacker (Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture), and Randall Balmer (Religion in 20th-Century America), reader not only finds great information but also learns about the different events that are difficult to place in any pattern of development and interpretation.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

JON BUTLER:

He (B.A., Ph.D., University of Minnesota) is the professor of American Studies and Religious Studies and Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He has taught at Yale University since 1985 and also at California State University Bakersfield and the University of Illinois at Chicago. He directed the Pew Program in Religion and American History between 1993 and 2003 with Harry Stout. He is also the author of other books on religion and history, he has written Power, Authority, and the Origins of the American Denominational Order: The English Churches in the Delaware Valley, 1680-1730: The Huguenots in America: A Refugee People in New World Society; Awash in a Sea of Faith: Christianizing the American People, Becoming America: The Revolution Before 1776. He held Guggenheim and NEH fellowships. He is also a member of an editorial board of The Works of Jonathan Edwards. He is currently writing a book on “Religion in Twentieth – Century New York City, tentatively entitled God in Gotham: The Miracle of Religion in Modern Manhattan. Therefore, all this professional and educational expertise is reflected in this book.

He (Ph.D., Princeton) is the professor of American Religion at Bernard College, Columbia University, and also the author of ten books including Religion in American Life (2003) and Growing Pains: Learning to Love my Father's Faith (2001). His books like Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America (1989) formed the basis for his Emmy nominated PBS series by the same title. He is also a speaker, Religious Commentator and Editor-at-Large for Christianity Today. Therefore, the reader finds the reflection of all his skills beautifully incorporated in the various chapters.

GRANT WACKER

He is an associate professor of American church history at Duke University and a senior editor of the journal Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture. His publications include August H. Strong and the Dilemma of Historical Consciousness (Mercer, 1985), Religion in Nineteenth Century America (Oxford, 2000), and Heaven Below: Pentecostals and American Culture (Harvard, 2001). However, we find ample knowledge rightly stetted in this book regarding the religious culture of Christianity and its various aspects.

BRIEF SUMMARY AND PUPOSE OF THE BOOK:

Ever since the development of America in the map of geography, we recognize America as United States, except in the colonial period where some references are made to New France in the North and New Spain in the south, and where different people use to live with different religions. So this is a short history of religion in America, which illustrates a rich spiritual heritage central to approximate every event in the American history.

In order to earn that distinction for being the most religious country in the world, this book offers the readers a glance at the rich diversity of religious history of the United States by describing all aspects of different religions. The authors very beautifully gave spiritual insights to various religions and enlightened us regarding their development, competition, influence and dominance of different religion on the traditional religious history of America. The readings also highlight the major movements and religious figures that shaped the distinct forms of faith in American society and culture. The reader will also explore the relationship between the American culture and its religious life, and also find himself related to the different religions with a logical and strong comparison among them.

Moreover, the book provides particular awareness to the influence, which affected the American nation’s history; culture and life. At the same time we also come to understand how opposite these religious and cultural traditions are and have been shaped by their encounter with American culture. Therefore, the purpose of the book is to enlighten the fact of religion in the youth while describing the history of religion in America.

The author John Butler begins by describing the different religious affairs in both old and new era on the eve of colonization. He illuminates the progress of religious cultures in the colonies through the time of American Revolution, by covering the religion of all groups that were present at that time. These include, Protestants, Jews, Catholics, as well as the unique religious experiences of Native Americans and African Americans, in accessible and wide- ranging, and with all the flaws of previous histories. He also describes the differences between religion and the followers, and how the religion participates in changing the behavior and circumstances. He also explains that how religious struggles and movements can affect the daily life of a common man. Therefore, he describes the different aspects of life related to the religion of people living in America and then compares these aspects and changes with the people of different countries or the people newly migrated to America. So altogether this makes the book more interesting for the reader as at the same time we get to understand various aspects of the American religious history.

Author Grant Wacker continues the story in enchanting way at the changing behavior and ever – shifting religious scenery of 19th century America. He focuses on the rapid growth of the evangelical Protestants-Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Islam and others-and their competition for dominance over different religions such as Catholicism and Judaism, which continued to increase by large number of arrivals of immigrants from different part of the world like Ireland, Eastern Europe, some from Muslim countries and other countries. Author illustrated that 20th century saw massive change in behavior and cultural and social activity of human. Therefore, he tries to show that how the dominant religions effect other religions and culture.

CONTENTS OF THE BOOK
Randall Balmer communicates the effect of industrialization, modernization and secularization, which was on the new and established religions. He illuminate that how the social factor of the region had been effected the religions in the past and what is happening presently. He also explains that how different aspects of social factors like modernization and industrialization affect the different religions of the worlds in this fast growing era of modernization and development of the world. He also discusses the different changes occurring due to these factors. He examines the different religions in different social levels like Protestants, Hindus, Jews, New Age believers, Mormons, Buddhists, Roman Catholics, and many more, providing a clear look into the kaleidoscope of religious belief in modern- day America. Therefore he tries to build an understanding to illuminate the religion in old times and in new times, and compare the old times with new modernization, growing industrialization and secularization.

ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT:

However, in spite of all these writings in the book, authors seems to be unable to provide an outline of trends or changes that supply a context for understanding this complex history. So the reader faces little difficulty in understanding different religious facts and their changing behaviors. Although there is a great deal of information and data here that is illustrated in a random and unorganized manner. On the other hand, we also find some technical errors in the book for instance, lack of footnotes and endnotes. This makes reduces the authenticity of the deep-rooted research by the author to the reader. Therefore, it is even impossible to understand the thorough and deeper investigation regarding the information provided in the book. At the same time, the authors attempt to analysis of the events and historical information provided in the book in relation to the contemporary religious and modern political trends in America are a little brief and shallow, which distracts the continuity and interest of the reader when reads the analysis provided by all the authors. Moreover, the authors also seem to be incapable to keep the text sequential or in order of their occurrence, especially in the transition form 19th century to 20th. In historical and these kinds of texts, it is expected to jump back infrequently. However, they also seem to be a little brief with the past events and influences, which were though thoroughly discussed and analyzed in its proper place in the timeline. So, despite of the shortcomings, it is easy to understand every thing that is given in the text or history like this. Here, the events are discussed randomly.

Nonetheless, the entire book is worthwhile and precious as an introduction to the subject and to get the feeling for the role of religion in the American history, development and cultural progress.

However, the book contain two best features in the last quarter of the text, the first is the chronology of events since 1492. The second is a list of suggested related readings. Though the book is ended by deliberating on the future forms of the American religion in 21st century, after highlighting the religious pattern within the American history, But reader will need to eventually supplement it with a more carefully organized and credited work, therefore it is not recommended to new readers or beginner readers.