The American Religious Experience: History, Challenges, and Evolution

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the American religious experience, tracing its evolution from Native American traditions to the dominance of Christianity and the challenges it faced. It begins by acknowledging the diversity of Native American religions and then delves into the history of Christianity in the United States, starting from the colonial era and the dream of Christendom. The essay examines key historical events, including the 'imperial awakening,' westward expansion, slavery, and the Civil War, highlighting the role of religion in shaping American society. It also discusses the impact of immigration, responses to modernity, and the World Parliament of Religions. Furthermore, the essay explores the decline of Christianity, the rise of new religious movements, the American civil rights movement, and the emergence of the 'nones.' The author emphasizes the dynamic and evolving nature of American religious history, which continues to influence social morality and perspectives. The essay concludes by emphasizing the ongoing interest in both Native American religious traditions and American religious history among scholars and researchers.

Running head: THE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
THE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
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People belonging to the North and South America prior to the arrival of European
explorers are referred to as the Native American. Considering the size of both the continents and
the diverse landscapes, it is not a surprising phenomenon that the Native American culture can
vary drastically from group to group as well as tribe to tribe. Therefore, the Native American
religion is as well an extremely broad category. The essay aims to discuss on the same aspect,
the religious experience of Native American culture. The essay will discuss the religion of the
same through maintaining a specific focus on Christian history in the United States specifically
from the colonial times onwards.
The history of Christianity in America is not easy to trace since there are many details
regarding the topic. The two continents contain too many groups and too many individuals and
require great in-depth information. As it is commonly known, Native American religion
possesses and share a set of common features. However, when it comes to the history of
Christianity in the United States, it is certainly fascinating and lively. At the beginning of the
colonial years, medieval Europe had dreamed of Christendom. The dream was one civilisation
that would endorse unity by a single faith. However, the ideal of Christendom was devastated in
the sixteenth century. When the protestant reformers were breaking with papal authority in
Rome, the dream was shattered. Europe became an area with patchwork where each territory was
little Christian in its own along with a ruler who would determine the religion of the people. In
the meantime, several Europe powers were laying claims in order to lands across the Atlantic
Ocean. The territories involved were named New France, New Spain, New England, New
Sweden and New Netherlands. Therefore, two events had overlapped at the same time.
Turning to the later colonial period through various revolutions, there were several
significant events that helped in shaping American Christianity. At the end of the seventeenth

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century, England experienced an ‘imperial awakening’. Looking from the English perspective,
closer management was necessary if the colonies were to grow into something that would be
more than ‘a meaningless string of feeble outposts’. One of the signs that the new management
was the society for the purpose of propagation of the Gospel in Foreign parts of the states
(Koester, 2015).
The trickle of setters crossing the Appalachian Mountains after the revolutionary war
evolved to a flood. The Mississippi valley within a few years was able to organised as well as
settled into states. One of the most decisive events in history considered to be this specific
settlement. Since due to this particular event the United States stopped to be minor, struggling
ex-colony and transformed itself into a vast nation. A significant role was played in the
expansion of westward by the Christian religion. Christian was not only carried by them but also
recruited new Christians. Also, they convinced several nominal ones to recommit to the Christian
faith. Several churches were also built in order to build the faiths.
The next stage was slavery and civil war. Slavery is one of the central social that are
carved in the history of America and the story of Christianity in America. The Christian
institution was deeply embedded in American life that eventually took shape of a civil war in the
end. The civil war and slavery had religious dimensions from a great extent involving African
heritage, evangelical Protestantism and majorly slavery.
Approximately twenty-five million immigrants were migrating to the united states during
the years that were between civil war and the first world war. In the meantime of this duration,
the first wave of immigrants had come from the British Isles as well as later from Scandinavia
and Germany. Most of the Midwest and later the great plains were settled by the groups of

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immigrants. However, from the 1890s to 1914, immigrants started arriving in the state in large
numbers. They belonged from different countries such as Poland, Russia, Italy and Greece. The
immigrants were less fortunate to have the opportunity of buying land; therefore, they tried to
secure their positions in large cities where they could use the factories.
The responses to modernity were one of the prominent things that occurred during the
years. Almost four centuries later from the first visit made by Columbus, the Columbian
Exposition was held in Chicago. The specific exposition was held in the white city, the buildings
that were gleaming complex specifically built for the purpose on the shore of Lake Michigan. In
the contemporary era, the white city can be called as the theme park. The forward march of
civilization, with the United States at the vanguard was the prime theme. Amidst all the
significant and vital exhibits and events that were at the Columbian Exposition, the most
important for Christianity was the world parliament of religion in America. Lasted for seventeen
days, even the parliament was involved in this event.
The nineteenth century is often said to be not ending until the Great War started in
Europe. The Great War was later come to be known as the First World War. The conflict ended
an era of relative peace as well as optimism while also leading to a situation of suffering of an
unimaginable level. The region, Christianity declined in United States and Europe. Various
challenges were faced by Christianity in every turn. Several people challenged the religion and
its principles. It led towards a new millennium after decades from World War II. The entire
landscapes of Christian were on the verge of change. A reinvention of the Catholic Church was
done. Along with the scientific changes, a new wave of feminism arrived which called for
equality. It called for women in all areas of life, even involving religion. Nondenominational and
Pentecostalism churches began growing at a rapid rate. The traditional forms of protestant

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traditions began declining. There were several other major developments in American
Christianity in the past half century. Also, during this time the American civil rights movement
began rising. The quest for equality and justice for the African American were beginning to rise.
Also, the civil rights movement began to raise and it built its ground on African American
Christianity.
As mentioned earlier, considering the size of both the continents and the diverse
landscapes, it is not a surprising phenomenon that the Native American culture can vary
drastically from group to group as well as tribe to tribe. The history of Christianity in America is
lively and fascinating. It has seen hard days, challenges in America. However, it was one of the
most important aspects of American society that has pushed society to see different perspectives.
Christianity in America has led to a shift in social morality and at the end leading to ‘none’. The
‘none’ indicates a rise of no religion in particular. Indeed, there were different stages of religion
in the state. Along with growth and decline, the religion still maintains to sustain in society in the
contemporary era. The field of Native American religious traditions as well as American
religious history has come to something that shares a critical juncture. The long standings of the
religion have certainly interested several researchers and scholars. Although there have been
embedded Christianity, today Native American have variety and diverse religion.

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References:
Koester, N. (2015). Introduction to the History of Christianity in the United States: Revised and
Expanded Edition. Fortress Press.