What does the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 have to do with the rise of a Christian America? What does the founding of the American Bible Society in 1816 reveal about unfolding patterns of religious reform that have continuously reshaped the nation? How did the Scopes Trial of 1922 pave the way for our contemporary culture wars? And how did the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 point to a profound religious realignment in the United States? These are just some of the intriguing questions that Elesha J. Coffman addresses in this engaging and informative volume.

Turning Points in American Church History offers an exploration of 13 captivating episodes that move chronologically from the colonial era to the recent past. Each aligns with key moments or eras in American history, making it easy for readers to map religious developments onto familiar textbook narratives. While some episodes may not seem all that monumental, each showcases the dynamic forces at work within American church life and the remarkable religious energy that has been a defining force in American history. Informed by recent scholarship and attuned to contemporary debates, Coffman expertly distills complex stories into an easily digestible narrative without sacrificing richness or complexity.

Each tightly written chapter follows the same basic structure. After briefly describing the specific turning point, Coffman places the event within its broader historical context and then traces its lasting impact on American religion and society. The chapter on George Whitefield and the First Great Awakening, for example, situates his story within the growth of colonial America and its extraordinary religious diversity before delving into the significance of evangelicalism to American religious life and national culture in the years and decades ahead. As a framing device, each chapter begins with a hymn text and concludes with a prayer that together offers a window into the popular spirituality of the time. Each chapter also includes a handful of images, one or two short primary source selections, and concludes with a helpful list of suggested books for further reading.

As with any book of this kind, readers may question the logic of certain choices and argue that other significant events have been neglected – a point Coffman readily concedes. As she notes in her introduction, “a different author might have given more sustained attention to Roman Catholicism, for example, or to historic peace churches, or to Latino and Asian Americans” (p. 4). She also notes that several of the episodes might more accurately be described as “launch points” (p. 4), such as the election of John Carroll as the first Roman Catholic bishop in the United States or the Azuza Street Revival and its role in sparking the growth of Pentecostalism. But such subjectivity should not be seen as a limitation of the book, but rather as an invitation for readers to draw up their own list of pivotal events and make a case for their importance, drawing on Coffman’s examples as models of skillful analysis.

Readers of this journal might appreciate Coffman’s focus on “church history,” rather than American religious history more broadly. The episodes she chooses to profile speak to the importance of institutional religion and denominational tradition. She concentrates on the mainstream – the nation’s Christian core – rather than the fringes, which have often attracted outsized attention in both scholarly study and the popular imagination. While this traditional approach may downplay extra-ecclesial movements, spiritual seekers, and more esoteric elements of American religious life, as well as the contributions of non-Christian faiths, Coffman is certainly attentive to the diversity present within church communities. Nor does she shy away from acknowledging the contentious issues that have tested and torn those communities, not only on matters of race and gender but also on politics and faith practice. Several of the chapters also highlight Christian communities’ encounters with non-Christian others, whether domestically or internationally, who become a source of anxiety or the target of missionary outreach. This is church history viewed through a wide lens.

With its affordable price and accessible prose, the book is ideal for classroom use. It will also likely appeal to popular audiences, especially persons of faith interested in knowing more about Christianity’s role in American life or the development of their own traditions. While it perhaps speaks most directly to those for whom faith already matters, it remains appreciative of religious influence without a triumphalist tone. It is equally valuable to those with no preexisting knowledge of church history, offering a thoughtful introduction to its complex contributions and often contested legacy.