Methodists to Congregationalists, Mormons to Jews, Church of God to the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel-the story of religion in the United States is in large part the story of its paradoxical religious organizations. Through both words and maps, The Atlas of American Religion brings coherence to the shifting picture of 200 years of American religious history. From independence to the present, the Atlas charts the evolution of the 39 major denominations and sects in the U.S. Also, Newman and Halvorson offer a new five-fold typology categorizing religious organizations. Their definitions of national denominations, multiregional denominations, classic sects, multiregional sects and national sects brings new precision and clarity to our understanding of religious organizations. And with 92 two-color maps depicting this changing religious landscape, the Atlas of American Religion makes an indispensable reference for anyone interested in the sociology or history of the religious experiment that is the United States of America.
Atlas of American Religion : The Denominational Era, 1776-1990
Description
Table of Contents
Chapter 1-Organizing Religions in America chapter 2 A. The Founding Faiths and Organizational Beginnings chapter 3 B. Social Change and Religious Diversification chapter 4 C. Religious Consolidation in the Modern Era chapter 5 Chapter 2-Counting the Faithful chapter 6 A. Data Sources on Religion in America chapter 7 B. Early Private and Census Enumerations chapter 8 C. Later Census Enumerations chapter 9 D. The Church Membership Studies chapter 10 E. Regional Considerations chapter 11 Chapter 3-The Denominational Matrix chapter 12 A. In Search of Types and Processes chapter 13 B. Defining Criteria for Denominations and Sects chapter 14 C. Toward a Process Model chapter 15 Chapter 4-The Denominations chapter 16 A. Introduction chapter 17 B. National Denominations chapter 18 C. Multiregional Denominations chapter 19 Chapter 5-The Sects chapter 20 A. Introduction chapter 21 B. Classic Sects chapter 22 C. Multiregional Sects chapter 23 D. National Sects
Author Description
William M. Newman is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut.Peter L. Halvorson is Professor of Geography at the University of Connecticut.