In their introduction, the editors identify ten themes that they believe explain the course of American religious history. All in some sense hinge on paradox. For example, alongside stunning diversity and pluralism, intolerance and prejudice flourish. These themes could have provided an innovative way to guide readers through American religious life. However, the twenty essays, all by distinguished scholars, focus on a handful of traditions (such as Catholicism, Judaism, evangelicalism, and Islam) and a handful of topics (including gender, race, politics, the environment, and popular culture). Absent is any consideration of mainline Protestantism, arguably one of the most influential strands of American religion over the centuries, and also of spirituality and lived religion (save for an occasional nod in the essays on Catholicism and popular culture), expressions of religion in material culture, and the role of region, a matter garnering much scholarly interest in recent years.

The editors note that they asked contributors to develop a thesis that would capture the essence of the assigned topic, comment on scholarship that addresses it, and indicate avenues for future work. Some of the essays do all three; many do not. One that admirably fulfills the assigned task is Leslie Woodcock Tentler's essay on American Catholicism, which contains a brief, but stunning overview of American Catholic history, an incisive summation of shifts in interpretive scholarship as Catholic historians became less triumphalist and more open to critical methodologies, and the need to rethink the Catholic story in the twenty-first century in terms of new immigration and an international context.

Some pieces are primarily annotated bibliographies. They include Anthony Michael Petro's essay on “Women, Gender, and Sexuality” and also Edward J. Blum's “Religion, Race, and African American Life.” These and others like them are helpful surveys of literature, but will become quickly dated as new work appears. Others leave the reader wishing for more. Mark Noll's insightful essay on theology focuses almost exclusively on white Protestant male figures. Space considerations no doubt precluded more consideration of Catholic thought (three or four paragraphs) and of African American theology (only Martin Luther King receives mention). Missing is discussion of feminist theologians or Jewish thinkers such as Abraham Heschel.

A few authors offer unusually creative interpretive pieces. Andrew Manis, for example, tackles the familiar topic of American civil religion, but does so through a tantalizing use of Buddhism's Eight-Fold Path as a way to unpack not only what civil religion was all about, but what even contemplating a civil religion—and its future—entails. A few writers develop limited historical summaries of their subjects. Michael D. Quinn's essay on the Latter-day Saints illustrates this approach. Quinn explores primarily the early days of that tradition, the religious world of founder Joseph Smith, and the controversial teaching on plural marriage; he then comments at length on the latter as it related to Mormonism's credibility and Utah's quest for statehood. He also offers salient comments on how the LDS tradition has always been politically engaged, with a presence in the public square well before the Romney 2012 presidential campaign.

The volume concludes with several appendices. “American Religion, A to Z” consists of concise definitions of selected terms and movements and some sketchy biographical statements of some individuals. Not clear are the criteria for inclusion; many individuals profiled, for example, receive no mention elsewhere. So the choices appear idiosyncratic at best.

Potentially more helpful are listings of reference works, films, discography, and websites related to American religion edited by Randall Stephens. These sections, far more than the twenty core essays, cry out for annotation. Simply naming films such as Inherit the Wind, Left Behind: The Movie, and Star Wars without indicating how they illuminate American religious life renders the listing less useful than it might have been. Also, as with the glossary, the principles determining selection remain unclear. In sum, bibliographies that could be very useful to teachers and students alike come across as eclectic and random. The same concerns apply to the online resources identified. Without information about what a particular site offers (curiously libraries and archives are listed by their web address, not the subject matter at the core of holdings), a simple name and URL have little meaning to the uninitiated.

These concerns, added to the traditions and topics omitted and the idiosyncratic nature of the individual essays, raise a more fundamental issue: who is the intended audience? One might surmise that calling this a “guide” to religion in American history would indicate that beginning students would find here a comprehensive, if concise, reference work. Such is not the case. Virtually all the essays, regardless of approach, presume a fairly thorough knowledge of American religious history. The appended resource lists also require such understanding. Graduate students and scholars will find the more bibliographical essays helpful summaries of literature. A few might glean from some of the areas proposed for future research inspiration for a doctoral dissertation or book.

An eclectic, highly selective set of essays, the Columbia Guide to Religion in American History succeeds best at something it may not have intended. It reveals how rich and diverse the field of American religious history is, how much work has already been done in trying to untangle and interpret developments, and how much remains to do before we grasp what “religion in American history” is all about.