NYU Press Religious and Secular Reform in America: Ideas, Beliefs and Social Change

From its earliest days, the United States has provided fertile ground for reform movements to flourish. In this volume, twelve eminent historians assess religious and secular reform in America from the eighteenth century to the present day. The essays offer a mix of general overviews and specific case studies, addressing such topics as radical religion in New England, leisure in antebellum America, Sabbatarianism, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and Evangelicalism, social reform, and the U.S. welfare state. Suitable for students, the essays, each based on original research, will also be of interest to researchers and academics working in this area, as well as to all those with an interest in the history of religious and secular reform in America. Review [Adams and van Minnen] deserve commendation for the unfailing clarity of conception and expression in the volume's essays.-- "Religious Studies Review" Historians looking for fresh insights into the reform tradition in America should enjoy Religious and Secular Reform in America-- "The Journal of the Early Republic" Religious and Secular Reform in America should be of interest to anyone seeking a fresh perspective on American history.-- "Journal of the Academy for Evangelism" About the Author David K. Adams is Professor of American Studies and Director of the David Bruce Centre at Keele University in England. Cornelius A. Van Minnen is Executive Director of the Roosevelt Study Center in Middelburg, The Netherlands.