ABOUT THIS BOOK

Religion is deeply embedded in American history, and one cannot understand American history’s broad dynamics without accounting for it. Without detailing the history of religions, teachers cannot properly explain key themes in US survey courses, such as politics, social dynamics, immigration and colonization, gender, race, or class. From early Native American beliefs and practices, to European explorations of the New World, to the most recent presidential elections, religion has been a significant feature of the American story. In Understanding and Teaching Religion in US History, a diverse group of eminent historians and history teachers provide a practical tool for teachers looking to improve history instruction at the upper-level secondary and undergraduate level.

This book offers a breadth of voices and approaches to teaching this crucial part of US history. Religion can be a delicate topic, especially in public education, and many students and teachers bring strongly held views and identities to their understanding of the past. The editors and contributors aim to help the reader see religion in fresh ways, to present sources and perspectives that may be unfamiliar, and to suggest practical interventions in the classroom that teachers can use immediately.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Karen J. Johnson, an associate professor and chair of history at Wheaton College, is the author of One in Christ: Chicago Catholics and the Quest for Interracial Justice.

Jonathan M. Yeager is the LeRoy A. Martin Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is the author of Jonathan Edwards and Transatlantic Print Culture, named Book of the Year by the Jonathan Edwards Center at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

REVIEWS

“An important contribution. Engagingly written and effectively organized, Understanding and Teaching Religion in US History provides especially useful frameworks for educators seeking ways to thoughtfully integrate religion throughout US survey courses.”

— William S. Cossen, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology

“A terrific combination of teaching pedagogy and pragmatic ideas of how to incorporate American religious history in the classroom. I wish this book existed when I first started teaching. Highly recommended!”

— Evan Jasper, Wheaton Academy

“Exceptional and unreservedly recommended.”

— Midwest Book Review

“Will be useful for anyone teaching US history.”

— Choice Reviews

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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