American Evangelicalism

Conservative Religion and the Quandary of Modernity

The field of sociology had entirely ignored the phenomenon of contemporary American Evangelicalism for the better part of the twentieth century. With American Evangelicalism: Conservative Religion and the Quandary of Modernity, Hunter introduced the first serious examination of the subject in the field and stated what was to become a cottage industry in the sociology of religion and political sociology.

In this book, Hunter challenges the assumptions of modern social science that with modernization comes secularization. How, he asks, can conservative and orthodox religion survive and even thrive in what could be considered the most modern society in the world? The answer, he argues, is that Evangelicalism engages in a “cognitive bargaining” that negotiates elements of accommodation and resistance to the culture of modernity.

Thirty-six years after its publication, The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion published a “retrospective book review symposium” on the impact of this field defining work. Obtain the journal here.

Praise

  • “This is a pioneering study of American Evangelicals. It combines sober sociological analysis with a sense of larger issues and an empathetic understanding of its subject. It will be indispensable for anyone seeking to put in perspective this important segment of the American religious scene” —Peter L. Berger, author of The Sacred Canopy and The Social Construction of Reality

  • “The book is a provocative blend of historical, textual, and survey analysis in a rich interpretive framework. It is one of the best studies of American religions in recent years.” —Robert Wuthnow, author of Why Religion is Good for Democracy

  • “The book is wonderful. It has something to say to those interested in modernization, American life, religion, and of course Evangelicals. I shall use the book in my teaching in the sociology of religion.” —Samuel C. Heilman, author of Defenders of the Faith

  • “At a time when much is being written about Evangelicals, Dr. Hunter’s perceptive analysis is a welcome addition. A corrective to much that is ‘common knowledge,’ the book is a hard-headed, yet sympathetic, look at this sector of the American population which, in 1983, has achieved a visibility and audibility way beyond most expectations.” —Phillip E. Hammond, author of The Sacred in a Secular Age