History

The character of American religion has changed rather remarkably several times since the time in which Native Americans represented the only religious traditions in America. Further, the religious traditions of the American people also have undergone significant changes. We will explore the unique features of seven different historical periods.

Expression

American religions can be divided into a number of different "families," each with their own distinctive beliefs, practices, institutions, symbols, and values. These characteristics are what set groups apart from each other and provide the American religious landscape with its richness. We will examine the characteristics of the "families" and their subfamilies identified in the navigation bar to the left.

Consensus

Within the various historical periods identified above, the dominant religious groups have formed a shared vision and identity, sometimes with each other and sometimes in tension with other groups. We will explore which groups constituted the consensus or position of majority influence and which groups stood on the outside of that consensus looking in. We should anticipate that this consensus changes from time to time as do the groups which constitute the "insider" and "outsider" positions.