The ?Nonconformist conscience? was a major force in late Victorian and Edwardian politics. The well-attended chapels of England and Wales bred a race of Christian politicians who tried to exert a moral influence on public affairs. This book analyses the political impact of the Nonconformists at the peak of their strength when they were near the centre of key debates of the time over such matters as the growth of the British Empire and state provision of social services. They had also launched campaigns of their own to disestablish the Church of England and to secure public control of the nation's schools. Based on extensive original research, this study is the first to examine these themes.

The effects of the great Evangelical Revival in eighteenth-century England were felt throughout the world, not least in America. It has long been accepted that the Revival owed much of its initial impetus to the Moravian Church but previous accounts of the Moravian's role have been inadequate and overly dependent on Wesleyan sources. Colin Podmore uses original material from British and German archives to dispel common misunderstandings about the Moravians, and to reveal that their influence was much greater than has previously been acknowledged.

Transcendentalism, a movement of theological innovation and literary experimentation arising within New England Unitarianism in the 1830s and 1840s, significantly influenced American religion, literature, education, and political culture. This reference is the first comprehensive guide to the major philosophical concepts, themes, genres, periodicals, events, organizations and movements, and places associated with Transcendentalism in the United States. Significant classical, European, Asian, and native sources and influences are included, as are later transformations. This reference approaches the subject from a history-of-ideas perspective, embracing the inconsistencies and oddities as well as the powerful achievements of the Transcendentalists. With 145 entries by 70 expert contributors, this volume is the first comprehensive guide to the major philosophical concepts, themes, genres, periodicals, events, organizations and movements, and places associated with Transcendentalism in the United States. Significant classical, European, Asian, and native sources and influences are included, as are later manifestations and transformations. Aspects of the movement covered include religion, philosophy, literature, the arts, education, politics, science, and reform. The book features separate entry bibliographies, an extensive chronology, and a detailed index.

David Brainerd is simultaneously one of the most enigmatic and recognizable figures in American religious history. Born in 1718 and known for his missionary work among the Indians (as well as for being expelled from Yale), Brainerd and the story of his life entered the realm of legend almost immediately upon his death at the age of twenty-nine.
Much of his reputation is based on the picture of Brainerd constructed by Jonathan Edwards in his best-selling Life of David Brainerd. This new biography seeks to restore Brainerd to the context of the culture in which he lived. Combining archival research with the most recent scholarship on the Great Awakening and Indian missions, John A. Grigg argues that Brainerd was shaped by two formative experiences. On the one hand, he was the child of a prosperous, well-respected Connecticut family that was part of the political and social establishment. On the other, he was a participant in one of the more fundamental challenges to that establishment-the religious revivals of the 1740s. Brainerd's work among the Indians, Grigg argues, was a way to combine the sense of order and tradition inherited from his family with his radical experiences in the revival movement. Moving beyond biography, Grigg also examines how the myth of Brainerd came to be. He argues that both Edwards and John Wesley crafted their versions of Brainerd's life in order to address specific problems in their own churches, and he examines how subsequent generations of evangelicals utilized Brainerd for their own purposes.
The Lives of David Brainerd is the first truly scholarly biography of Brainerd, drawing on everything from town records and published sermons to hand-written fragments to tell the story not only of his life, but of his legend. The David Brainerd who emerges from this work is a man who is both familiar and remarkably new.

American Evangelicals and Religious Diversity is a qualitative study of how religion and education intersect at one conservative Christian school. The school is Evangelical and American. The school's curriculum is bible-based and fulfills its state's educational requirements for high school graduation. While the school has an environment that is Evangelical, the students live in a religiously-diverse world. This book documents how three students and their teacher struggle to understand a world that challenges their faith. The context for this understanding is how the teacher presents and the three students come to understand Catholicism, Islam, and the indigenous religions of the Americas. Americans continue to debate whether religious schools are too parochial and do not prepare students to live a diverse society. It is the opinion of the editors that this book should put to rest some of this fear. We read the manuscript with a critical editorial eye but found the story a compelling one which challenged us to review the tenets of our own faith. The author's style of presentation is consistent with good scientific discourse yet impels the reader to a view inside the experience of the subjects of the study. Reading the manuscript was not only an informative experience but a faith affirming one too. We are very pleased to present Kevin Taylor's book, American Evangelicals and Religious Diversity as an important part of our series on research on religion and education.

Billy Graham, the high-profile evangelist, author, and founder of the diverse Billy Graham Evangelical Association, is now in his 80s. Yet his popularity is undiminished, thanks to new generations seeking Christian spiritual fulfillment. Graham is the superstar evangelist who has remained untainted by the financial and sex scandals that have plagued his evangelical peers. His movie-star looks, manner, and propriety have made him a role model, and have brought him into close contact with power. He has had a personal relationship with every president since Dwight D. Eisenhower, serving as an unofficial White House chaplain and, to some extent, policy advisor. This balanced biography covers Graham's life and work, his extraordinary accomplishments, and the criticisms he has endured. It is clear that Graham will be remembered as a tireless crusader for his faith in popular revivals around the world. He has preached in nearly 200 countries, drawing the largest crowds for religious events in history, and made special efforts to reach audiences in Communist countries in Asia and the Soviet Union, which alienated fundamentalists.

The last days of the apocalypse are already upon us, but most people don't know it. Author Louis A. Kelsch, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, reveals that the last days are already here and will not be deterred. He explores the methods God will use to teach us repentance and how selected individuals will benefit others as events unfold. Christ will reign on Earth, and life will be restored to a true utopia.

He also considers the ways in which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints looks exactly like the church that Christ once organized. Founded on the principle of revelation from God, it is a truly an original American church.

There are trying times ahead for the Latter-Day Saints, and if you're already a member of the church, your faith will be tested. But it will not be more than you can bear, and there will also be times of unspeakable joy. No matter what your faith, there's not much time left to start living a life that will free you from sin. Discover how to find the path to salvation with The Apocalypse Has Begun.