About the Author

David Edwin Harrell Jr. (1930-2021) was an American historian and the Daniel F. Breeden Eminent Scholar at Auburn University. He published several books on American religious history, including the two-volume Social History of the Disciples of Christ and such pioneering studies of the Pentecostal and charismatic movements as All Things Are Possible: The Healing and Charismatic Revivals in Modern America and Oral Roberts: An American Life. He also coedited a series entitled Religion and American Culture by the University of Alabama Press. A respected authority on American history, religion, and politics, Harrell appeared on such TV news programs as Good Morning America, Nightline, and CNN News, and he was quoted in Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, The Economist, and The Nation. Edwin S. Gaustad (1923-2011) was Professor Emeritus of History and Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside. He also taught at Shorter College, the University of Redlands, Baylor University, and Auburn University. He received a B.A. from Baylor University and a M.A. and a Ph.D. from Brown University. He is the author of, among other works, Sworn on the Altar of God: A Religious Biography of Thomas Jefferson, Liberty of Conscience: Roger Williams in America, Historical Atlas of Religion in America, The Religious History of America: The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today (with Leigh Schmidt), and Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land: A History of Church and State in America."

Reviews

Mark Noll
Wheaton College
"Unto a Good Land offers a sound general history of the American people and an unusually perceptive understanding of how religious matters have been important in that history. This combination makes this text distinctively useful. It is good reading that provides a solid foundation for advanced exploration in the very wide domains of American historical study." Jon Butler
Yale University
"Unto a Good Land beautifully integrates the character of American religion, values, and idealistic concerns into an excellent narrative history without cant or special pleading and with real judiciousness and balance -- a difficult task accomplished with sensitivity and vigor." Margaret Armbrester
University of Alabama at Birmingham
"Beautifully written and comprehensive in its coverage of American political, intellectual, and cultural themes, Unto a Good Land is likely to find wide use in state colleges and universities throughout the country. The authors weave into the narrative the ever-present sense of 'special' mission that has shaped, for better and for worse, the nation's history. This work incorporates the latest scholarship celebrating American diversity in a balanced treatment that will make American history recognizable and persuasive to college students. They will, I believe, find it hard to put down." W. Roger Biles
East Carolina University
"The authors do a nice job of seamlessly weaving religious topics into the discussion rather than simply adding sidebars that draw attention to the 'separateness' of religious belief. This approach will remind students that religion is an important part of people's lives and therefore an appropriate topic for analysis." John Milton Cooper, Jr.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
"The writing is good and clear; the chapters and topics within them are easy to follow. The scholarship on which the chapters are based is up to date. I also think the approach is well balanced. I found the integration of religious topics to be well done, and not only as a 'hook' to distinguish this text from others in the field." Link Hullar
Kingwood College, North Harris Montgomery Community College District, Texas
"I am delighted to be using Unto a Good Land with my students. This text tells the story of the American people with respect and consideration for all peoples. It is attractive, engaging, and readable. I have been teaching U.S. History for over thirty years and without a doubt this is the best survey text I have ever used."