About this book:

"Faith and Power: Religion in the Political and Cultural History of North America" examines the intricate relationship between religious beliefs, institutions, and the shaping of North American societies from pre-colonial times to the present. The book argues that religion has been a fundamental public force, influencing laws, education, social policies, and cultural identity, rather than merely a private matter. It traces how diverse spiritualities, including Indigenous traditions, European missionary movements, and later immigrant faiths, have interacted, adapted, and sometimes clashed, creating a complex and dynamic religious landscape across the continent.

The narrative begins with an exploration of Indigenous spiritualities, highlighting their deep connection to the land and sophisticated cosmologies that predate European arrival. It then delves into the Spanish, French, and British missionary projects, demonstrating how these efforts were intertwined with imperial ambitions and faced varied responses of conversion, syncretism, and resistance from Native peoples. The book further examines the profound impact of the Great Awakenings and the rise of evangelicalism, which democratized faith, fueled social reform movements like temperance and abolition, and increasingly utilized media to project its influence into the public square and political arena. Catholicism, in its diverse forms brought by different European and later Latin American immigrants, also played a crucial role in building communities, providing social services, and navigating periods of prejudice and growth.

Later chapters explore the unique trajectories of specific faith traditions, such as Judaism, Latter-day Saints, and African Diasporic faiths, detailing their struggles for community, belonging, and freedom against societal challenges and legal constraints. The text analyzes how waves of immigration continuously reshaped religious pluralism, introducing new cosmologies and cultural practices that challenged established norms. It also investigates critical themes like the role of religion in education, the evolving legal frameworks of church-state relations, and the moral reform efforts that influenced social policy. Finally, the book addresses contemporary issues, including the "culture wars" over sex, science, and education, the enduring legacy of residential schools, and the future of faith in an age of secularization, digital media, and global migration, demonstrating how North America continues to be a vibrant laboratory for religious change and negotiation.

What You'll Find Inside:

• Explores how Indigenous spiritualities have demonstrated remarkable continuity, adaptation, and revival despite centuries of colonization efforts, maintaining sacred relationships with land and community.
• Traces the evolution of major religious traditions in North America—including Catholicism, Evangelicalism, Judaism, African diasporic faiths, and Mormonism—and their impact on politics, education, and social policy.
• Examines the dynamic negotiation of church-state relations across North America, from colonial establishments to modern legal battles over religious symbols, school funding, and conscientious objection.
• Analyzes how religious conviction has fueled major reform movements including abolition, temperance, civil rights, and environmental justice, while also shaping cultural conflicts over sexuality, science, and education.
• Investigates contemporary religious trends such as secularization, the rise of 'spiritual but not religious' identities, immigrant-driven pluralism, and faith's role in digital media and public life.

Who's It For:

This book is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in religious studies, American history, Native American studies, or sociology, as well as scholars seeking a comprehensive continental synthesis. It will also benefit educators, policymakers, and engaged citizens who want to understand how religion has shaped North American laws, institutions, and social movements from pre-contact times to the present day. Readers interested in the intersection of faith, power, and cultural change will find this work particularly valuable.