Summary Of Religion In Twentieth And Twenty-First Century America

“Religion in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century America” written by Randall Balmer, is the third section in the book Religion in American Life: A Shorty History by authors Jon Butler, Grant Wacker, and Randall Balmer. Randall Balmer, a professor of American Religious History at Columbia University is considered an expert in the field. His work illustrates America’s increasing religious tolerance during the twentieth and twenty-first century. Balmer sets out to inform his readers about American’s approachable stance to the religions of immigrants and others. Balmer demonstrates the sensitivity and openness to the expansion of the various religions of America’s diverse population. The major argument of this work suggests “Americans, whatever

In this case, the population of America found ways to direct their focus on other religions and understood the importance of becoming attentive and receptive to newly introduced faiths. Despite American’s confusion with regards to science, technology and little understanding of other faiths they cultivated a population willing to observe the faiths of others. “Religion in Twentieth and twenty-first Century America” emphasized that “American’s remained religious, but the varieties of religious expression remained anything but constant, and the complexion of America itself was changing”. This is important as it presented or identified the religious changes that occurred and how they were incorporated into the landscape and made

For instance, Balmer introduced the Hocking Commission report which “called for American Protestants to be more sensitive to other cultures and other religions”. In another example, Balmer explains how “many Americans, in their time-honored tradition of openness to new religious ideas, simply absorbed these new religious forms alongside their more traditional involvement with Judaism or Christianity”. These examples, skillfully portray Americas readiness in sensitivity and openness to others religions which they began to support. Moreover, Balmer demonstrates how Americans were receptive to a variety of faiths and their expansion. In one example, Balmer identified how an early convert, Oden Fong, detailed his experience while living in Laguna Beach in which he proclaimed how “there was a different representative of every faith on just about every corner”. In another instance, Balmer describes how “the cities remained a proving ground for ethnic, racial, and religious diversity at the turn of the twentieth century”. America, of course, was learning to encourage new and differing views regarding religion. Balmer captured and delivered these different views in “Religion in Twentieth and Twenty-first Century”. For instance, he incorporated magazine excerpts, quotes, or letters from religious and political figures of the period, which