BLESSED ASSURANCE

"Blessed Assurance examines the moment of our political birth and highlights the close connections between our political and religious traditions. Randall Balmer looks at the rise of evangelical groups from Methodists to the Disciples of Christ, and at charismatic leaders from Mary Baker Eddy to Jimmy Swaggart. He vividly illustrates the ebb and flow of our nation's religious past, from apocalyptic movements in every century to our two great religious revivals and the evangelical longing for a third. These historical moments demonstrate how the evangelical movements of today were informed by history and the struggle for the American Christian soul. Most importantly, Blessed Assurance convincingly shows us that evangelicals - often thought of as backward-looking and old-fashioned - have always been in tune with their time, taking advantage of mass communication and the charisma of their leaders."--BOOK JACKET.