When the American Revolution arrived, evangelical fervor merged with Enlightenment political philosophy. Figures like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, though deistic or unorthodox in their personal beliefs, championed religious liberty. This collaboration culminated in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and, ultimately, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited a national church establishment and guaranteed free exercise of religion. The 19th Century: Expansion, Innovation, and Division
Growing out of the Millerite apocalyptic movement.
The Scopes "Monkey" Trial of 1925 is presented not as a simple victory for science (William Jennings Bryan looked foolish to the press), but as a political defeat for the rural South. Allitt shows how Fundamentalism retreated into the shadows, building a parallel network of Bible colleges and radio ministries—only to re-emerge decades later as the Moral Majority. TTC - Prof. Patrick N Allitt - American Religious History
This is where the course truly catches fire. The Second Great Awakening (1790–1840s) democratized American religion. Allitt describes the "burned-over district" of upstate New York, where spiritual fervor was so intense that it produced everything from Mormonism (Joseph Smith) to the Seventh-day Adventists (Ellen White) to the Shakers.
The course shines brightest when discussing the Second Great Awakening. This is where the American religious identity truly diverges from its European ancestors. Allitt shows how Fundamentalism retreated into the shadows,
American Religious History provides an essential framework for understanding the United States. It explains why a nation with a secular Constitution can be simultaneously one of the most religious countries in the industrialized world. It helps listeners make sense of everything from the rhetoric of political leaders to the dynamics of social reform. Whether you are a student of history, a person of faith, or a secular observer trying to better understand your society, Professor Patrick N. Allitt’s course is a rewarding investment. It is a clear, respectful, and intellectually rigorous examination of the spiritual forces that have shaped—and continue to shape—the American character.
: Revisiting how religious history has reinterpreted events like the Revolution, moving beyond purely secular or economic explanations. Related Works by Prof. Allitt the other to promise deliverance.
The Tapestry of Faith: Exploring American Religious History through Prof. Patrick N. Allitt’s TTC Course
Allitt begins where America begins: with the Native American spiritual traditions, which he treats with respectful anthropological nuance. He then moves to the European invasions—specifically the Spanish Catholics in the Southwest and Florida, and the French Jesuits.
Allitt excels here by connecting theology to social action. He demonstrates how the Awakening fueled the abolitionist movement (Theodore Weld, the Grimké sisters), the women’s suffrage movement (Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who cut their teeth in temperance societies), and the utopian communities (Oneida, Brook Farm). The lecture on "Southern Religion and Slavery" is particularly sobering, showing how both slave owners and enslaved people used the Bible—one to justify hierarchy, the other to promise deliverance.