Baptist and Methodist Faiths in America

Baptist and Methodist Faiths in America is the second of two books in the Faith in America series dealing with the many communities tied to the Protestant Christian faith. Focusing on those groups formed after the European Reformation who broke with the idea of a state-related dominant church in a given country, and organized denominations unattached to government control, this book explores the beliefs of Methodists, Baptists, Cumberland Presbyterians, Pentecostalists, and Disciples of Christ. Exploring the history of groups deeply rooted in America, from the first immigrants in the 1600s to the Great Awakening of the 1700s and the rise of fundamentalism in the 1800s to today's media-savvy preachers with television congregations, Baptist and Methodist Faiths in America examines the impact of these faiths on the cultural, social, and political life of America. Often evangelical in nature; active participants in the arts and in the field of communications, especially broadcasting; and professing strong positions in the debates over social issues, such as abortion and gay rights, and the policies of the government, including everything from school prayer to education funding; these groups have played and continue to play an important role in American society.