By William C. Placher, Presented by Lewis Loflin
Reproduced from A History of Christian Theology: An Introduction, © 1983 William C. Placher
American religion has swung like a pendulum through its history, a dynamic interplay of tension and transformation. It began with the Puritans’ covenantal zeal and the Anglicans’ traditionalism, often at odds. The rise of rational religion—Deism and Unitarianism—emphasized reason over doctrine, only to face a counter-revolution of awakenings and revivals, igniting fervor and end-times hopes. Churches then split and stumbled over slavery, a moral crisis exposing their limits. Finally, Romanticism emerged, rejecting reason for mysticism and feelings. This series traces these shifts, revealing a theology shaped by conflict and adaptation. —Lewis Loflin
Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.
— Thomas Jefferson
An eighteenth-century Italian visitor, Francesco Caraccioli, once quipped that England had sixty religions but only one sauce. The United States, with its dizzying array of faiths from the Old World and beyond, would have left him speechless.
A full history of American Christianity could catalog every denomination’s rise and evolution—a sprawling tome of church politics and organization. The concept of "denomination" itself, a distinctly American innovation, contrasts with Europe’s post-Reformation model of one established "church" per nation, shadowed by minority "sects." Here, Catholics, Quakers, Congregationalists, Methodists, and countless others compete on roughly equal footing. Yet, such lists risk dulling the story.
This exploration sidesteps exhaustive rosters, focusing instead on intellectual currents cutting across denominations and on a few groups that birthed radically new theological ideas.
Rather than charting organizational minutiae, this series delves into the big questions and innovations that have defined American Christian thought—from the Puritan dream of a "city on a hill" to the mystical turns of the 19th century. It’s a story of ideas, not just institutions.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me format and refine this presentation of Placher’s work. The final edits and structure, including my introductory perspective, are my own. —Lewis Loflin
