By Anna Stegeman

America’s God is written by Mark A. Noll, Research Professor of history at Regent College. He is a prolific author and many of his books are highly praised and awarded. America’s God is a study on the state of theology in America from the Great Awakening to the Civil War. Noll takes a deep look at many different denominations including the Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican and Catholic Churches and how they evolved over the years alongside the growing and changing country.

When the Puritans sailed to America and started a colony, they were still being influenced by European theology. It was not until around 1750 that, “American Theology” began to grow. Two books were very important in this process. First was Samuel Willard’s Compleat Body of Divinity (1726). Then Cotton Mather began publishing an immense amount of books on theology. His religious writings accounted for a third of all of the published works on theology in America. Not everyone wanted to change though.  Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), a revivalist in colonial America, wanted to stick to the old Calvinistic ways. He was very well versed in all the new philosophies and theology of the day and some of it he accepted, but some he thoroughly rejected.  

The most influential denomination at the time was Presbyterian. It was full of great thinkers and theologians including Jonathan Dickinson (1688-1747) Gilbert Tennent (1703-1764) Samuel Finley (1715-1766) and Samuel Davis (1723-1761). These men were full of energy and published a multitude of popular books and articles on theology. Most Presbyterians wanted to remain closely connected to Calvinism and the Westminster Catechisms but a few were not happy with the older influences and wanted to change. This caused a schism that lasted from 1741-1758.

America began to give up its European roots and Puritan heritage.  The first sign of this happening was when Jonathan Edwards was kicked out of his church after just bringing revival and growth. How did this happen? There are many reasons. Children were not continuing in the Puritanism of their parents and instead were being less strict in religion.  During the Great Awakening there was a time of repentance strengthening  the Puritanism in New England but there had already been to much of a shift for it to be permanent.  

So, what was next for the young nation? The convictions and religion of Christians were changing and becoming more “American”.  Republicanism, meaning everyone is equal and deserves liberty, and Protestant convictions were merging and this was not an accident. Some theologians and preachers were very skeptical of it but as time went on, changed their views. One example of this is George Whitefield. He was very cautious about this new theology at first but then began using the language and terms like “liberty” and “faction”.  

Republicanism was really moved along by the war with France.  Americans began to think about what it would be like to have liberty from Britain and not have to fight all Britain’s wars for her by paying an outrageous amount of taxes. Britain would also use the Americans to gain power on the North American continent. There was a major shift from when Whitefield came to America to the ratification of the Constitution. The Presbyterians, the biggest denomination at the time, began to accept it and played a big role in accepting the new theology and putting it to use.  

There was a slump in the church where there was not much revival and it had slow growth. But one denomination, the Methodists, were growing rapidly. Especially among African Americans there was an expansion in the Methodist churches. Problems aside, there was still a huge amount of churches for how young the country was. Why was that?  The obvious reason was that God chose to bless the churches in the new nation. The Puritans had a vision for a new nation with God at the center.  Christianity thrived in the new nation which was a stark contrast from post-Revolutionary France and England.  

With all the changes and growth in the American church, what was the theology like now? In the 1790s they made more emphasis on human will and believed it played a larger role in salvation than their forefathers had. They thought of  the church as something that was constructed by the people who founded it rather than the fathers of the faith.

1772-1860  was the golden age of American Reformed theology.  Presbyterian minister, Charles Finney (1792-1875) was a major player.  He encouraged some practices that had never been done before like letting women preach.  Finney emphasized human power and control over God’s power.  Although some people were enraged at him, many did liked him and Finney started a revival. There was lots of theological studies and debates.  But around the 1850s “American theology” was giving way to other theologies. There were multiple competing theologies but the big one was Methodism.

Methodism in America started with Francis Ashbury and Thomas Coke, among others. They were dwarfed by the other churches but grew from a fledgling denomination to a booming one that was easily bigger than the Presbyterians. Just like most of the other denominations it became increasingly republican.  During the early 1800s they started many colleges and were very influential in the world of theology. They helped transform America and the theological setting. But around the era of the civil war they became divided. Some wanted to go back to older Methodism before Republicanism infiltrated the churches. Others were very happy with where the denomination was and wanted to keep moving forward. That was not the only division happening.  

There was a storm brewing that would effect every corner in America.  Slavery! The North and South were now very different in theology. The South was reverting back to more classical conceptions, the older beliefs of early America, and the North was moving on from Republicanism to individualistic beliefs. Before the war there was already much conflict and strife in the theological world and long after the war ended there was still a war between theologies. One of the most hotly debated topics was on the Bible and slavery. The Bible was used in ways for and against slavery.  Many pastors and theologians published books articles and tracts. Numerous  sermons were preached on it.  

As the war came to a close there was still a lot of disruption and discord in the church. It took a long time for the church to heal and forgive. Theology had changed tremendously between the war and the founding of American and it changed a lot during the Civil War. The nation was not a young child anymore. It had experienced much prosperity and a war that threatened to tear apart the country. America had a unique beginning that started on the strong foundation of God and the scriptures and we are still being influenced by it today. 

This book is a fascinating read that takes you from before the founding of America to the aftermath of the Civil War and chronicles how the Bible affected the new nation. This book is separated into 5 sections: Introductory, Synthesis, Evangelization, Americanization, and Crisis and has 22 chapters. As I read this book I learned much about America and how the foundation that the Puritans built America on effected the country for so many generations. America’s God takes a deep dive into the history of America and is a great read for history buffs and people who just want to learn more about America from a Christian perspective. It is a big book and you have to really let it marinate in your mind. Nevertheless it is an informative and interesting book.

Put this book on your reading list!