Mr. Kidd’s brief history is invaluable as a primer, especially for political observers who find American evangelicalism mysterious and alien. . . . Mr. Kidd’s arguments are fair and his scholarship is superb.”—Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal“How 81 percent of evangelicals could have voted for Donald Trump, given his flouting of their ‘traditional values,’ has been a question for many Americans since 2016. . . . Kidd, a professor of history at Baylor University, finds an explanation in the history of the relationship between evangelicals and political power.”—Frances Fitzgerald, New York Times“A concise but assured history of the evangelical movement. . . . The question of who is and who is not an evangelical should matter to everyone concerned with American politics and the American social order.”—Alan Jacobs, The Atlantic“Thomas S. Kidd says more in 175 pages of text than most historians of this capacious topic have said in books twice that long. Though . . . written for a popular audience, specialists will immediately see that it represents the distillation of years of careful research and critical reflection.”—Grant Wacker, Journal of Church and State“This work upends the perspective that evangelicalism is primarily a group of white males. . . . For those who want to understand the cultural factors surrounding the development of evangelicalism in North America, instead of simply its modern political affiliations, this book is a useful introduction.”—Religious Studies Review“As a survey of American evangelical history, this an extremely helpful book. . . . Ought to be required reading for anyone who believes that they understand the current state of American politics, especially where questions of religious faith are involved.”—Benjamin M. Guyer, Anglican and Episcopal History“This book, written by one of the most respected historians of our time, examines evangelicalism with clarity and insight, through the telling of a riveting story. Reading this book makes me remember why I loved the word ‘evangelical’ in the first place, and why I think our movement is worth saving.”—Russell Moore, president, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention“Kidd makes a persuasive case for returning the term ‘evangelical’ to the religious convictions that once loomed as more important for ‘evangelicals’ than political adherence. This book is as important as it is timely.”—Mark A. Noll, coeditor of Evangelicals: Who They Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be“Thomas Kidd, an accomplished U.S. historian and practicing evangelical Christian, reminds us that evangelicalism has always been primarily a religious and spiritual movement that, when at its best, has transcended race, class, ethnicity, and politics.”—John Fea, author of Believe Me: The Evangelical Road to Donald Trump“Part history, part lament, this book offers a bracing introduction to evangelicalism in America. Thomas Kidd tells the tumultuous story of a movement that began in the eighteenth century as a heartfelt quest for spiritual rebirth and holiness, but which is best known today for its political support of Donald Trump and the Republican Party.”—Catherine A. Brekus, author of Sarah Osborn’s World“Learned but highly accessible, this is an excellent introduction to US evangelical history and politics. Sweeping across two hundred years, multiple faith commitments, and covering a broad range of racial and political identities, this is an important book.”—Melani McAlister, George Washington University
