American Grace takes its findings from two of the largest, most comprehensive surveys ever conducted on religion and public life in America, plus in-depth studies of diverse congregations—among them a megachurch, a Mormon congregation, a Catholic parish, a reform Jewish synagogue, and an African American congregation. From abortion to gay marriage to feminism, this book shows how religion has influenced politics in America—and vice versa. The discoveries are often unexpected: The most politicized churches tend to be liberal, not conservative, congregations. Faith matters less to Americans than their communities of faith. Most Americans marry outside their religion. And nearly half of all Americans change their religion at some point during their lifetime. Robert D. Putnam won huge acclaim for Bowling Alone and Better Together. Together with coauthor David E. Campbell, Putnam brings his distinctive brand of in-depth research and analysis to religion in America.
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"This is a book that I highly recommend!!! I first heard about it when I heard one of the authors, David Campbell, being interviewed on a TV show and his comments piqued my interest. I didn't know until I started reading the book that David Campbell is LDS which was interesting to me. Then I have also really liked others works (such as Bowling Alone) by the other author, Robert Putnam. This book has definitely influenced how I view religiosity as well as causing me to do some personal soul-searching." — Barbara (5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a book that I highly recommend!!! I first heard about it when I heard one of the authors, David Campbell, being interviewed on a TV show and his comments piqued my interest. I didn't know until I started reading the book that David Campbell is LDS which was interesting to me. Then I have also really liked others works (such as Bowling Alone) by the other author, Robert Putnam. This book has definitely influenced how I view religiosity as well as causing me to do some personal soul-searching."
“An essential resource for anyone trying to understand twenty-first-century America.”
This surprising, absolutely fascinating, and ultimately uplifting portrait of the changing role of religion in American life deserves the widest possible audience. It is a triumph.
" I will take FOREVER to finish this book, but it is AWESOME! "
" Very academic read- but so interesting - especially in the context of our present political climate. "
" very interesting and I just am always amazed that a concept like religion can be such a dividing point among human beings. My idea of religion is that it is practiced to help humans be better humans to their fellow beings. "
" I am listening to the audio. I am at Chapter 9. It is wonderfully comprehensive and it shows that what many ministers found out about the congregations is not isolated. "
" Tackles the question of whether America is still religious. Many statistics though. "
" Tedious and slow, repetitive and very, very long, but not uninteresting. More of a review to come. "
" This book is worth reading simply for the material on ethnicity and religious ties. Well done, though there are times it does get a bit dry with all the statistics. "
" I am really enjoying this book. It is huge but is giving a very complete picture of religion in America. Very interesting! "
" Some interesting information. Engaging writing despite graphs and stats. "
" Couldn't finish this book before it was due back at the library. I am thinking of buying my own copy. It is a fascinating read and I am learning a lot! "
" A better magazine article than book. "
" Bogged down in statistics in places, but still an interesting read; the portraits of individual congregations ("vignettes") help a lot to break up the numbers crunching. Audio narrator did a wonderful job making such a challenging project come alive. "
" Yeah I finished this a long time ago. Sorry. It's good. I will always be interested in how religion influences culture. Don't have much to say. "
" This is a scholarly book, weighing in at over 600 pages. The research is important and well-documented, but my interests probably would have been just as well served by a journal article (or even a magazine article)--which is not the authors' fault, but my own :) "
" Probably best as a reference tool. I was overwhelmed, so I started at the top of the index and worked my way through, stopping to read topics that interested me. These two men were meticulous, meticulous, meticulous! "
" Informative and fascinating demographic and sociological study of American religious life. "
" This book had an intriguing beginning with stories about the Saddleback mega church in CA. But it quickly devolved into a stat lesson. Perhaps after Chapter 6 there was a change back but I didn't want to find out. "
" This is a revealing and detailed look at religious belief in the United States. It's best for a statistics nerd, however. Still, I found it very engrossing. "
" This book is VERY LONG and filled with statistics. It was helpful for my lesson plan for my humanities class, but a very slow read. I was hoping for more religions in the book, but it focuses mainly on Christianity. "
Robert D. Putnam is the Malkin Research Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University and a former Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Nationally honored as a leading humanist and a renowned scientist, he has written fourteen books, including the New York Times bestselling Our Kids, and has consulted for the last four US Presidents. In 2012, President Obama awarded him the National Humanities Medal, the nation’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities. His research program, the Saguaro Seminar, is dedicated to fostering civic engagement in America. Visit RobertDPutnam.com.
David E. Campbell is the John Cardinal O’Hara, C.S.C. associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame as well as a research fellow with the Institute for Educational Initiatives. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of several books, including Why We Vote and A Matter of Faith, and his work has also appeared in the Journal of Politics, Public Opinion Quarterly, and the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. He lives near South Bend, Indiana.
Dan John Miller is an American actor and musician. In the Oscar-winning Walk the Line, he starred as Johnny Cash’s guitarist and best friend, Luther Perkins, and has also appeared in George Clooney’s Leatherheads and My One and Only, with Renée Zellweger. An award-winning audiobook narrator, he has garnered multiple Audie Award nominations, has twice been named a Best Voice by AudioFile magazine, and has received several AudioFile Earphones Awards and a Listen-Up Award from Publishers Weekly.
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