Turning Points in American Church History: How Pivotal Events Shaped a Nation and a Faith. By Elesha J. Coffman

Extract

Using significant, dramatic moments to connect with general readers and people in the pews has demonstrated its value for presenting clear, compelling narratives and covering large bodies of material in religious history. Mark Noll led the way in Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity (1997). Several years ago, Heath Carter and Laura Rominger Porter edited a collection of essays to illuminate Turning Points in the History of American Evangelicalism (2017). Following this tradition, Elesha Coffman’s Turning Points in American Church History brings a distinctive voice and method to making sense of Christianity in America. The title exactly captures how Coffman delineates her story—she is interested in the several Christian traditions that have flourished in America—White Protestants, Roman Catholics, the Black Church, and Pentecostal/Charismatic movements. Smaller groups, such as the Eastern Orthodox, receive mention but not extensive treatment. Each chapter begins with the “turning point” moment—such as George Whitefield’s preaching, the Methodist Schism over slavery, the Scopes Trial, or the 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. It then provides background for the event, connects it with thematic developments within the tradition, and demonstrates the long-term consequences of the event.