America's Religious Crossroads: Faith and Community in the Emerging Midwest

Anglo-Americans, African Americans, and European immigrants flooded the Old Northwest between 1790 and 1850, bringing a mosaic of Christian religious belief. Stephen T. Kissel's book explores how organized religion shaped the region's social, cultural, and civic infrastructure, influencing settlement, literacy, charitable public outreach, formal education, and social reform. It also unearths stories of how faith influenced the bonds, networks, and relationships that allowed isolated western settlements to grow and evolve a distinct regional identity.

Format: Hardback
Length: 268 pages
Publication date: 28 December 2021
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Between 1790 and 1850, a significant wave of Anglo-Americans, African Americans, and European immigrants flooded the Old Northwest, which is now modern-day Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. These newcomers brought with them a diverse range of Christian religious beliefs, creating a rich tapestry of religious diversity in the region. In his book, Stephen T. Kissel delves deep into the foundational role that organized religion played in shaping the social, cultural, and civic infrastructure of the Old Northwest. Through a comprehensive examination of primary sources, Kissel demonstrates how believers from both traditional denominations and religious utopian societies found fertile ground for religious unity and fervor.

Organized religion played a crucial role in influencing settlement from the very beginning, integrating faith into local townscapes and civic identity. It facilitated many of the Old Northwest's earliest advances in literacy, charitable public outreach, formal education, and social reform. Kissel also uncovers fascinating stories of how faith influenced the bonds, networks, and relationships that allowed isolated western settlements to grow and evolve into a distinct regional identity.

Americas Religious Crossroads is a perceptive and broad-ranging book that illuminates the integral relationship between communal and spiritual growth in early Midwestern history. It provides a valuable insight into the complex interplay between religion, society, and the development of the American Midwest. By exploring the role of organized religion in shaping the region's social, cultural, and civic infrastructure, Kissel offers a fresh perspective on the history of this important period.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252044236