Dictionary of Christianity in America

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T
^ he idea for the Dictionary of Christianity in America was born when a managing editor reached for a volume that would give ready information on the individual men and women, denominations and organizations, events and movements, ideas and practices that have contributed to the history of Christianity in America. But such a book did not exist.
Until now the available resources on reference shelves have been narrative histories of American religion, reference books covering North American religious bodies, denominational encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries and multivolume reference books on religion or worldwide church history in general. All of these books serve their purposes, but the need has remained for a one-volume reference book providing easy access to the full range of topics related to the past and present of Christianity in America. One of our chief editorial goals has been to produce such a volume.
As the word dictionary indicates, this book arranges... Tovább

Fülszöveg

PREFAC
T
^ he idea for the Dictionary of Christianity in America was born when a managing editor reached for a volume that would give ready information on the individual men and women, denominations and organizations, events and movements, ideas and practices that have contributed to the history of Christianity in America. But such a book did not exist.
Until now the available resources on reference shelves have been narrative histories of American religion, reference books covering North American religious bodies, denominational encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries and multivolume reference books on religion or worldwide church history in general. All of these books serve their purposes, but the need has remained for a one-volume reference book providing easy access to the full range of topics related to the past and present of Christianity in America. One of our chief editorial goals has been to produce such a volume.
As the word dictionary indicates, this book arranges its topics alphabetically. It awaits to serve a natural human impulse—the need to know. And because knowledge begets further questions, each article has been amply cross-referenced to other topics covered in the Dictionary, while most articles have bibliographies directing readers to further resources. These features make the Dictionary of Christianity in America a valuable resource for users at every level. For those who are new to the field of American religion, the Dictionary is designed to provide the foundations for understanding the breadth and diversity of the Christian tradition. More serious students should find the Dictionary a helpful traveling companion through yet unexplored corridors in the labyrinthine maze of Christianity in America. The Dictionary's breadth of coverage and bibliographic resources will also prove of value to scholars of religion.
As a dictionary of Christianity, this book covers its topic in the broadest sense of the term. The Dictionary seeks to cover the numerous religious bodies, movements, individuals and institutions that have laid claim to the Christian tradition. It does not attempt to arbitrate in matters of religious conviction, but to report fairly, accurately and objectively the beliefs and practices of the respective groups. It seeks to be descriptive rather than prescriptive. Many of the articles have been contributed by experts with religious commitments to the traditions on which they write. If any emphasis may be detected in the Dictionary, Vissza