These two works are sterling examples of sympathetic yet honest historical work. Read together, they provide a fruitful contrast between two very different Christian movements in American history that none the less find themselves at a similar crossroads today – the growing opposition between liberal and conservative Christians.

In Christian fundamentalism in America, David S. New targets the ideological war between the ‘Reds’ and ‘Blues’ currently dividing the United States. ‘It is impossible’, he argues, ‘to make sense of the cultural and political rift in America today without an understanding of its religious basis’ (p. 3). In nineteen chapters, he traces the development of this rift between liberal and conservative Christians from the Massachusetts Bay colony to David Koresh. Although New relies heavily upon secondary sources, he is a skilful storyteller and savvy interpreter.

‘Christian Fundamentalism’, according to New, is a ‘distinctly American innovation’ that takes conservative Christianity to an extreme (pp. 4–5). He characterises the movement by its: (1) belief that government should operate from Christian principles; (2) self-definition as separate from others; (3) anticipation of the millennium as a solely divine work in which they are passive but expectant recipients; and (4) preoccupation with a literal reading of the book of Revelation. New particularly underscores their millenarian thought in his history.

Many early Americans made sense of the events of their lives by interpreting them through a millennial lens. Thus the New World was viewed as a wilderness refuge from God's apocalyptic wrath toward England (ch. i). The Great Awakenings were perceived as the prelude to God's millennial kingdom on earth, stirring expectations of Christ's imminent second coming (chs ii–v). New then explores how liberal Christians threatened this worldview through the spread of biblical criticism and the secularisation of public education (chs vi–x). Millennial thought was defended and furthered by three conservative movements: Millerism (William Miller, 1782–1849), Princeton theology (Charles Hodge, 1797–1878; A. A. Hodge, 1823–86; and B. B. Warfield, 1851–1921), and Dispensationalism (John Nelson Darby, 1800–82). These movements encouraged a literal interpretation of Scripture and fanned the flame of America's fascination with the Bible's end-time prophecies. The contemporary decline of mainline Christianity (a ‘skeleton without a soul’) and the recovery of fundamentalist Christianity is then documented (chs xiii–xiv).

In his final chapters New takes a sharp turn from his preceding narrative. He recounts the gruesome stories of David Koresh, Charles Manson and Jim Jones to highlight the dangers of reading Revelation too literally. Given the extreme nature of these stories, one wonders if they are an effective means of challenging ordinary fundamentalists.

In conclusion, New's depiction of liberals and conservatives as two warring factions is dramatic, but oversimplified. His implication that liberals and conservatives can be differentiated by their political affiliation accentuates his failure to distinguish between Christian fundamentalism and broader conservative Christianity. Yet this oversimplification does serve the positive purpose of his work – to urge liberals and conservatives to cease defining themselves in opposition to one another, and to begin to move towards each other through mutual understanding of their shared history and religion (pp. 215–16).

In American Methodism: a compact history, Russell Richey, Kenneth Rowe and Jean Miller Schmidt trace the parallel story of Methodism through US history. In twelve chapters they cover the vast span from 1760 to 2000. The authors divide their chapters by key time periods in Methodist history within which they explore each period topically. They direct readers to their expanded work (The Methodist experience in America: a sourcebook) for depth and bibliographic reference in order to offer the crux of the American Methodist story here. They make two important moves in this work. First, they present early Methodism as ‘an expression of transatlantic Pietism’ and as a contrast to the ‘top down’ structures of American Puritanism (pp. 1–2). Second, each chapter highlights Methodism's work on behalf of oppressed minorities as a challenge to the historiography that represents Methodism as detached from the needs of society (p. 153).

Early American Methodists struggled to maintain their beliefs and practices (e.g. submission to Wesley, the value of spontaneity) while adapting to the, often antithetical, needs of their American context (e.g. independence from Britain, need for order and unity). During this time (1760–1850), Methodists began to emphasise missions to the poor, camp meetings, and education and publishing. The leadership mantle passed from itinerant preachers to magazine editors (chs i–iv). The period surrounding America's civil war (1830–84) was marked by conflict among Methodists (chs v–vii). They argued over episcopal and lay leadership – and ultimately divided over the issue of slavery. Methodists filled the ranks of North and South; both sides experienced spiritual revivals as well as setbacks. Despite painful schisms, Methodism grew rapidly, resulting in a programmed approach to church government.

In their final chapters, the authors cover contemporary Methodism's increasing religious tolerance, global awareness and advocacy for human rights. Denominations were united (most notably the United Methodist Church), discrimination and segregation of African Americans was repented, and the ecumenical movement fostered a new openness. None the less, Methodists today face a significant obstacle: tensions between liberal and conservative members. Despite their unnecessary stereotyping of these two groups, the authors rightly underscore this discord as critical to the future of American Methodism.

American Methodism is an effective introduction to a complex history, though it is not without some minor weaknesses. Because the authors reassess each period of history from a variety of perspectives (for example, African Americans, women, education), readers can lose sight of where they are in the flow of the story. Second, the authors have paid cursory attention to the doctrinal history of Methodism. The omission leaves the reader with the impression that the beliefs of these Churches simply follow behind their actions. Despite these setbacks, Richey, Rowe and Schmidt have provided a winsome and compact history of American Methodism.