Jesus in America

Distinguished historian Richard W. Fox presents a brilliant cultural history of Jesus in the United States, from the earliest European settlers to today. Jesus in America is a historical and multicultural assessment of Jesus as savior and exemplar in religious and secular America, from the earliest Spanish portrayals of Jesus to the Native Americans to the modern-day Jesus who is both a secular and sacred hero. Jesus is arguably the most influential figure in American social history, and for the first time his influence throughout the years has been explored in depth. From the colonists and the founding fathers to Martin Luther King Jr. and the hippies, virtually every era and movement has tried to make Jesus their own. Exploring the many ways he has wielded powerful influence over the course of American history, Fox identifies the nine principal takes on Jesus -- savior, moral ideal, superstar, etc. -- that have persisted throughout American history. Richard W. Fox (Ph.D., Stanford) has taught American intellectual and cultural history, with emphasis on religion, at Yale, Reed, Boston University, and the University of Southern California. He is the author of Trials of Intimacy, and Reinhold Niebuhr: A Biography. “An extraordinary blend of historical sophistication, theological discrimination, and spiritual understanding ... rich and fluent in the complexities of religious life.” -The New Republic