A radical new interpretation of the political and intellectual history of Puritan Massachusetts, The Making of an American Thinking Class envisions the Bay colony as a seventeenth century one-party state, where congregations served as ideological 'cells' and authority was restricted to an educated elite of ministers and magistrates. From there Staloff offers a broadened conception of the interstices of political, social, and intellectual authority in Puritan Massachusetts and beyond, arguing that ideologies, as well as ideological politics, are produced by self-conscious, and often class-conscious, thinkers.

Philip Jenkins looks at how the image of the cult evolved and why panics about such groups occur at certain times. He examines the deep roots of cult scares in American history, offering the first-ever history and analysis of cults and their critics fromthe 19th century to the present day. Contrary to popular belief, Jenkins shows, cults and anti-cult movements were not an invention of the 1960's, but in fact are traceable to the mid-19th century, when Catholics, Mormons and Freemasons were equally denounced for violence, fraud and licentiousness. He finds that, although there are genuine instances of aberrant behavior, a foundation of truth about fringe religious movements is all but obscured by a vast edifice of myth, distortion and hype.

More than two decades after its original publication, Thomas G. Alexander's Mormonism in Transition still engages audiences with its insightful study of the pivotal, early years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Serving as a vital read for both students and scholars of American religious and social history, Alexander's book explains and charts the Church's transformation over this 40-year period of both religious and American history. For those familiar with the LDS Church in modern times, it is impossible to study Mormonism in Transition without pondering the enormous amount of changes the Church has been through since 1890. For those new to the study of Mormonism, this book will give them a clear understanding the challenges the Church went through to go from a persecuted and scorned society to the rapidly growing, respected community it is today. From the Second Edition Foreword by Stephen J. Stein: "Thomas Alexander confronts the reality of change and does not try to disguise it or hide it in the shadow of earlier traditions. Rather, he acknowledges that Mormonism in 1930 was radically different from what it was in 1890 or at the time of its origins. He catalogues change without apology. In fact, Alexander celebrates change as the basis for the continuing success the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints enjoys."

This book offers the first comprehensive examination of the role of religion in the proceedings, theories, ideas and goals of the Continental Congress. Those who argue that the U.S. was founded as a "Christian Nation" have made much of the religiosity of the founders, particularly as it was manifested in ritual invocations of a clearly Christian God. Congress's religious activities, Davis shows, expressed an unreflective popular piety, and by no means a determination of the revolutionaries to entrench religion in the federal state.

Philip Jenkins looks at how the image of the cult evolved and why panics about such groups occur at certain times. He examines the deep roots of cult scares in American history, offering the first-ever history and analysis of cults and their critics from the 19th century to the present day. Contrary to popular belief, Jenkins shows, cults and anti-cult movements were not an invention of the 1960's, but in fact are traceable to the mid- 19th century, when Catholics, Mormons and Freemasons were equally denounced for violence, fraud and licentiousness. He finds that, although there are genuine instances of aberrant behaviour, a foundation of truth about fringe religious movements is all but obscured by a vast edifice of myth, distortion and hype.

This book presents writings produced by the Muggletonians---an unusual seventeenth-century English sect founded in 1652 by John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton. The volume draws on documents from a recently discovered Muggleton archive and rare seventeenth-century tracts. Among those included are Muggleton's autobiography, excerpts from works co-written by Muggleton and Reeve, letters, songs (including ones composed to celebrate Muggleton's release from prison), and miscellany.

Women of Principle deals with the struggles of contemporary Mormon polygynous women in their efforts to sustain their families in the prolonged absence of their husbands. Janet Bennion shows how women, through their networks with other women, are able to gain economic security and social autonomy. The book includes narratives from the lives of these women - narratives that clearly reveal why many mainstream Mormon women are viewing polygyny as a viable alternative to the difficulties of single-motherhood, "spinsterhood", poverty, and emotional deprivation.

Victoria Barnett describes the dramatic struggle between Nazism and the German Confessing Church --- a group of outraged Christians who sought to establish a church untainted by Nazi ideology. For this remarkable book, Barnett interviewed more than sixty Germans who were active in the Confessing Church. She quotes liberally from their frank, unvarnished testimony, using rich historical and archival material to frame their stories. For the Soul of the People vividly portrays a church divided between those who compromised with Nazism and those who eventually tried to overthrow it.

John M. Pontius brings to light simple ways to recognize and implement personal revelation in your life. Inside you'll find the grand keys that will help make receiving daily guidance, answers to prayers, and much more, accessible to everyone. With this book at your side, you'll be better prepared to prosper along your life's journey and accomplish the work the Lord has planned for you.

"'I love the Lord, He heard my cry, ' Deacon cries out as the newly gathered congregation, now seated in their pews, echoes his words in a plaintive tune". Thus begins the Devotional at St. John Progressive Baptist Church, one of many Afro-Baptist services that Walter Pitts observed in the dual role of anthropologist and church pianist. Based on extensive fieldwork in black Baptist churches in rural Texas, this is a major new study of the African origins of African-American forms of worship. Over a period of five years, Pitts, a scholar of anthropology and linguistics, played the piano at and recorded numerous worship services. Offering an extensive history of Afro-Baptist religion in the American South, he compares the ritual structures he observed with those of traditional African worship and other religious rituals of African origin in the New World. Through these historical comparisons, coupled with sociolinguistic analysis, Pitts uncovers striking parallels between Afro-Baptist services and the rituals of Western and Central Africa, as well as African-derived rituals in the United States Sea Islands, the Caribbean, and Brazil. Pitts demonstrates that African and African-American worship share an underlying binary structure: the somber melancholy of the first ritual frame and the joyful, ecstatic trance of the second frame, both essential to the fulfillment of that structure. Of particular interest is his discovery of the way in which the deliberate heightening and strategic suppression of "black English" contribute to this binary structure of worship. This highly original study, with a foreword by Vincent Wimbush, creates a memorable portrait of this vital, yet misunderstood aspectof African-American culture. A model for the investigation of African retentions in the diaspora, Old Ship of Zion will be of keen interest to students and scholars of cultural anthropology, religious studies, and African-American studies, as well as those concerned with the culture of the diaspora, the investigation of syncretism, folklore, and ethnomusicology.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

On September 11, 1857, a band of Mormon militia, under a flag of truce, lured unarmed members of a party of emigrants from their fortified encampment and, with their Paiute allies, killed them. More than 120 men, women, and children perished in the slaughter.
Massacre at Mountain Meadows offers the most thoroughly researched account of the massacre ever written. Drawn from documents previously not available to scholars and a careful re-reading of traditional sources, this gripping narrative offers fascinating new insight into why Mormons settlers in isolated southern Utah deceived the emigrant party with a promise of safety and then killed the adults and all but seventeen of the youngest children. The book sheds light on factors contributing to the tragic event, including the war hysteria that overcame the Mormons after President James Buchanan dispatched federal troops to Utah Territory to put down a supposed rebellion, the suspicion and conflicts that polarized the perpetrators and victims, and the reminders of attacks on Mormons in earlier settlements in Missouri and Illinois. It also analyzes the influence of Brigham Young's rhetoric and military strategy during the infamous "Utah War" and the role of local Mormon militia leaders in enticing Paiute Indians to join in the attack. Throughout the book, the authors paint finely drawn portraits of the key players in the drama, their backgrounds, personalities, and roles in the unfolding story of misunderstanding, misinformation, indecision, and personal vendettas.
The Mountain Meadows Massacre stands as one of the darkest events in Mormon history. Neither a whitewash nor an expose, Massacre at Mountain Meadows provides the clearest and most accurate account of a key event in American religious history."

This book discusses the mortal life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Although there have been many books written about Christ, this one is unique. By closely examining the historical setting in which He lived, His radical teachings and the deliberate sacrifice of His life, we see Jesus Christ as a stunning leader, teacher and example. His words still challenge mankind. His example still towers above history. His teachings still require us to answer the question He put to all His followers: "What think ye of Christ?" This book is the author's answer to that question. It will help you decide your own answer to the question. You will be introduced to a Jesus Christ you likely have not met--until now.

Exploring the surprising presence of Christian Science in American literature at the turn of the 20th century, L. Ashley Squires reveals the rich and complex connections between religion and literature in American culture. Mary Baker Eddy's Church of Christ, Scientist was one of the fastest growing and most controversial religious movements in the United States, and it is no accident that its influence touched the lives and work of many American writers, including Frances Hodgson Burnett, Willa Cather, Theodore Dreiser, Upton Sinclair, and Mark Twain. Squires focuses on personal stories of sickness and healing-whether supportive or deeply critical of Christian Science's recommendations -penned in a moment when the struggle between religion and science framed debates about how the United States was to become a modern nation. As outsized personalities and outlandish rhetoric took to the stage, Squires examines how the poorly understood Christian Science movement contributed to popular narratives about how to heal the nation and advance the cause of human progress.

"With our American Philosophy and Religion series, Applewood reissues many primary sources published throughout American history. Through these books, scholars, interpreters, students, and non-academics alike can see the thoughts and beliefs of Americans who came before us."

As Christians generally know absolutely nothing about the evidence for the observance of the Lord's Day immediately after the time of the Apostles, Adventists easily confuse them with their strong assertions. This book reports the clear and decisive testimony of the early Christian Fathers proving that Sunday was observed by all Christians immediately following the close of the New Testament. Their exact words are given with references to where found. All the important ones during the second, third, and fourth century are quoted. These strongly refute the claim of Adventists that Sunday observance originated with the Pagan Romans centuries after Christ.

This wide-ranging collection explores the complex relationships between religious sects and contemporary Western society and examines the controversial social, political, and religious issues that arise as sects seek to pursue a way of life at variance with that of other people. Wilson argues that sects, often subject to negative theological and moral judgements, can be understood only as social entities and as such require a scientifically neutral and unbiased approach to explore their emergence and persistence. He traces the growth and expansion of various movements--including the Unification Church, the Scientologists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Exclusive Brethren--relating them to their social context, and indicates the sections of society from which their support is likely to come.

Eric and his wife Marilyn were happy with their Catholic faith. Both rooted deep in their beloved religion, neither one dreamed that they would ever leave it. But when they moved next door to a Mormon family, their lives changed forever.

This is the story of their conversion, as told by Eric, along with a respectful and enlightening comparison of 40 key doctrines between Catholicism and Mormonism that testified to them of the restoration of the gospel. Find yourself touched, challenged, and educated as you share Eric and Marilyn's journey from Catholic roots to Mormon harvest.

Rooted in Mennonite Central Committees nearly six decades of work alongside Palestinians and Israelis, "Under Vine and Fig Tree" examines ways in which the Bible has been used to justify violence and dispossession, and ways it can be received as a life-giving word for Palestinians and Israelis wishing to live securely under their own vines and fig trees. (Christian)

That Amazing Junk-Man is a collection of nearly 75 stories and sermonettes drawn from Truman Brunk's forty years in the ministry. The stories reflect Brunk's desire to help churches become open and welcoming, instead of exclusive and shunning. The story of Cap'n Jack, the oysterman living "outside the walls" of the Mennonite Colony and welcomed into Brunk's home church at Warwick River Mennonite Church, provides a memorable illustration of this. As the stories show, Brunk learned from parishioners and others. At Eastern Mennonite College, he witnessed a miracle when students "set the campus afire." From a mother on her deathbed unable to die, he learned the necessity of giving a family blessing. From Joey he learned the power of relationships to build people up. From his own mother, who once told his father it didn't matter how he voted because "when we go to the polls I plan to vote for the other side," he learned that marriage partners can be different yet still thrive together. Each of these succinct accounts, and scores more, makes a point readers will long remember.