Title

Is There a Center to American Religious History?

Author(s)

William Vance Trollinger, University of DaytonFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2002

Publication Source

Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture

Abstract

Is there a center to American religious history? Of course, this question grows out of what David Wills has referred to as “the perennial debate that always seems to hold center stage as the Big Issue in the field ... [that is,] the ongoing quarrel between those who center their stories on the culturally formative role of a dominant Protestantism and those who emphasize the countervailing forces of religious pluralism and toleration.”

As I take the question, Is there some sort of center to American religion – dominant Protestantism or otherwise – that enables us to tell the story of American religion in a coherent and comprehensive historical narrative? Put another way – and I do think that these two questions are linked – Is the best metaphor to explain the history of American religion one that involves a “center?"

Inclusive pages

381-385

ISBN/ISSN

0009-6407

Document Version

Postprint

Comments

This journal is a publication of the American Society of Church History. The version available for download here is the author's accepted manuscript, posted in compliance with the publisher's policies on self-archiving. Some differences may exist between this version and the final published version; as such, researchers who wish to quote directly from this source are advised to consult the version of record. All material used from either version must be cited appropriately.

Permission documentation is on file.

Copyright

Copyright © 2003, Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture.

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Volume

71

Peer Reviewed

yes

eCommons Citation

Trollinger, William Vance, "Is There a Center to American Religious History?" (2002). History Faculty Publications. 15.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/hst_fac_pub/15