Here’s a detailed review of .
One of the greatest risks of teaching religious history is condescension. A secular historian might dismiss revivalist fervor as mass hysteria. A partisan historian might demonize opponents. Allitt avoids both traps. He explains what people believed and why those beliefs made rational sense within their historical context. You leave understanding not just the events of the Great Awakening, but the emotional experience of being born again. TTC - Prof. Patrick N Allitt - American Religious History
Professor Allitt uses a chronological and topical framework to trace American traditions from the Puritans to the modern era. Here’s a detailed review of
In the early colonial era, American religious history was characterized by the dominant presence of Puritanism. The Massachusetts Bay Colony, founded by John Winthrop and his fellow Puritans, was established with the goal of creating a "City on a Hill" – a beacon of spiritual purity and reformation. However, as the colonies grew and diversified, other denominations and faiths began to emerge, including Anglicanism, Baptism, and Quakerism. This nascent pluralism laid the groundwork for the complex, often contentious, relationships between different religious groups that would come to define American religious history. A partisan historian might demonize opponents
Professor Allitt, a distinguished historian from Emory University, brings a unique perspective to this vast timeline. He approaches the subject not as a theologian, but as a historian, tracing how faith has shaped the American landscape from the first European contact to the pluralistic modern era. The Allitt Approach: Why This Series Stands Out