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  • Introduction to the History of Christianity in the United States ed. by Nancy Koester
  • Mark Granquist
Introduction to the History of Christianity in the United States. Revised and Expanded Edition. By Nancy Koester. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2015. xv + 292 pp.

This is a revised and expanded version of the original edition published in 2007, which was, in and of itself, a finely crafted book. This new edition has made the original text much more useful, with the addition of graphics and images, selected primary illustrative texts (inset), maps, timelines, and bibliography. It is a handsome and very engaging update. This is a book that would be useful on a pastor’s shelf, in a church library, or in the hands of a general reader who wants to learn something of the history of religious life in the United States.

Writing a history of Christianity in America is a tough job, for there is so much detail, so many groups, and so many individuals, that it would be easy for a book of this sort to be overwhelmed by detail. Conversely, it is almost impossible to know, then, which groups to leave out, or to skip over. Too much material, and the reader is overwhelmed; too little material, and the story is not well told. Koester does a fine job of balancing the narrative and the details, and her writing is lucid and engaging. The result is a volume that reads well, and covers the history in an appropriate manner. This update also includes materials at the end that reflect the latest trends in American Christianity, including the shifts in social morality and the rise of the “nones” (those who claim no particular religion at all). A very useful glossary at the end assists the reader with technical terms, while a bibliography give suggestions for additional reading. [End Page 228]

In sum, this expanded version adds quite a bit of useful additional materials, and updates a very readable text. This is a book that is well worth purchasing, and that would be engaging for a diverse group of readers.

Mark Granquist
Luther Seminary
Saint Paul, Minnesota
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