From Jonathan Edwards to Christianity Today, the American evangelical movement has sustained a variety of transformations. Douglas Sweeney surveys the development and diversity of American evangelicalism. Combining a narrative style with historical detail and insight, The American Evangelical Story will appeal to students of church history and provide an ideal classroom introduction to the history of the movement.

Evangelical history can seem complicated, but in this book, clarity, precision, and solid spiritual lessons are the order of the day. For care in defining who evangelicals are and have been, for reliability from using the best available scholarship, for awareness of world trends and political influence, and most of all for concentration on the Christian meaning of evangelical history, this is a very fine book.–Mark A. Noll, McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame

This is a great resource, especially for people who want something short and easy to read yet detailed enough to apprise them of what evangelicalism is about. Unlike some books that read like dry compilations of unending historical facts, this one is engaging from start to finish. It is also inspiring. Perhaps the best thing about it is Sweeney’s attitude–he is appreciative of the movement’s famed leaders yet diligent to acknowledge that others, such as Pentecostals, charismatics, women, and blacks, have also made significant contributions that should be joyfully recognized as basic to a true telling of the story.–Sarah Sumner, chair, department of ministry, Haggard School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University